For over five decades Stella Chiweshe has been on a mission to promote the mbira and Zimbabwe’s Shona culture. She tells Jim Hickson about her calling
Chris Moss assesses the intrepid composer’s impact on music – and why his legacy, 100 years on since the great man’s birth, remains a challenge for contemporary tangueros
Ahead of their scheduled performance on May 20 at this year's Songlines Encounters Festival, we revisit Simon Broughton's interview from last year with the singing troupe’s charismatic leader, Dessislava Stefanova
The Malian kora player has become an international star, noted for his myriad musical collaborations. Nigel Williamson examines his extensive back catalogue
Garth Cartwright aims to get you swaying in the aisles with these ten top classic gospel collections, featuring Mahalia Jackson, The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Edwin Hawkins Singers and more...
A Songlines playlist for Apple Music exploring the many and varied uses of this iconic instrument of West Africa
Tabla players, often confined to an accompanying role, have shone in their own right on a plethora of recordings. Liam Izod picks out some of his favourite albums
The Malian singer-songwriter Habib Koité is also one of his country’s leading guitarists. Daniel Brown reflects on the artist’s recordings and career to date
Garth Cartwright cranks up the sound system for some bass-laden bliss. Here are his top ten classic dub long-players to check out
The comedian and writer tells Julian May about a childhood fascination with the past and the parallels between stand-up and the music he loves
Amid civil unrest, a slew of young African artists are transforming the perception of their continent, shaking up the mainstream with their infectious Afrobeats insurgency. Russ Slater surveys the scene’s UK roots and global impact
The Israeli-Iranian singer and actress Liraz talks to Jane Cornwell about rediscovering her Iranian roots, singing in Persian and the risks taken to fulfil her desire to record with fellow Iranian musicians
Jane Cornwell speaks to eco-minded composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Cosmo Sheldrake, whose interest in endangered species and enigmatic writers inspires works such as his new sophomore set, Wake Up Calls
2020 marked the centenary of the birth of the ‘Queen of Fado,’ Amália Rodrigues. Simon Broughton speaks to Mariza, the heir to Amália’s crown, and fado historian Rui Vieira Nery about her legacy
All of these albums received a maximum of five stars when reviewed in the 2020 issues of Songlines. Featuring Xylouris White, Sunny Jain, Derek Gripper, Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn and many more
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