Mary Chiney charts the rise of Alté, the Lagos-born movement that turned away from Afrobeats’ arena-ready polish to make room for interiority, atmosphere and a generation that refused to translate itself
Joe Mulhall speaks to the daughter of Bizimungu Dieudonne, the Rwandan musician whose 1980s album, Inzovu Y’Imirindi, has been rescued from obscurity over 30 years since he and his wife were killed in the 1994 genocide
Kenyan singer Olith Ratego, dodo legend Ogoya Nengo and German producer Sven Kacirek find a looser, more collaborative shape for their ongoing conversation between Luo tradition and minimalist electronics on Palagoma. Megan Iacobini de Fazio meets them
Celebrated for his distinctive, abstractive approach to folkloric sounds, the Barcelona-born uber-producer talks to Michał Wieczorek
The sun is here and the festival line-ups are filling up fast. Catch our guide to some of the top events showcasing global artists in the UK and around the world this summer
Erin Cobby distils some classic odes to imbibing and inebriation from around the world
The acclaimed English auteur tells Patrick Clarke how his love of music drove him to overcome a creative mental block and score his own soundtrack
Paul Slade hears how a humorous murder ballad based on a darker true story grew into a potent theme for civil rights
Bakithi Kumalo looks back at the unexpected moment Paul Simon asked him to play on Graceland – and the many paths it opened up for him
Sophie Parkes reports on the latest findings of the National Folklore Survey for England project and uncovers a realm bewitched by legend
On this issue’s compilation – our curated selection of new music and bonus tracks from across the globe
From Messiaen in a crypt to a queer Moby-Dick, Caroline Shaw and Andrew Yee discuss creativity, friendship and their adventurous new duo album ahead of a London launch party
British Folk singer Sam Lee performs ‘Meeting is a Pleasant Place’ at the House of Music Hungary in collaboration with Songlines
ADVERTORIAL: UPBEAT Platform’s Best New Talent Award showcases some of Europe’s best upcoming artists imbuing tradition with fresh energy, celebrating scenes beyond the mainstream. Vote for your favourite among this year’s 10 shortlisted nominees
Russ Slater Johnson speaks to the host of Puerto Rican podcast, La Brega, about dignity, Bad Bunny and the art of the hustle
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