Features

Monday, May 24, 2021

Introducing... Balkan Taksim

A new Romanian duo are revisiting the Balkan sound with a fresher, more sophisticated approach. Robert Rigney finds out what inspires them

Friday, May 21, 2021

Concertina | Musical Instrument Guide (with Radie Peat)

Lankum’s Radie Peat may play a laundry list of instruments, but she tells Garth Cartwright why the concertina is her main love

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Peggy Seeger on the art of songwriting: “Make them laugh before you make them cry”

The irrepressible singer-songwriter and activist Peggy Seeger talks to Julian May about dealing with the inevitability of ageing and her unique and very candid approach to songwriting

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Piffero | Musical Instrument Guide (with Stefano Valla)

Ciro De Rosa speaks to Stefano Valla of the group Bellanöva about how the shawm-like piffero tradition lives on in northern Italy's Four Provinces

Friday, May 7, 2021

Omar Sosa interview: “Music as a weapon of mass consciousness”

A prolific collaborator who has travelled extensively since leaving his Cuban homeland, Omar Sosa talks to Jane Cornwell about his fact-finding tour of East Africa and his new album, which sees him collaborate with some of the region’s leading folkloric musicians

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

The 10 Best Live Albums

As we wait with bated breath for live music to return in full, Jim Hickson selects ten albums that serve as a reminder of what we’ve all been missing during this last year devoid of in-person live performances

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Electric Jalaba: “It’s the feeling of being grabbed by the music and lost in the groove”

Gnawa music from Morocco forms the basis of Electric Jalaba’s groove-laden sound. Jane Cornwell speaks to Oliver Keen and Dave De Rose about how the band came together and their experimental, improvised approach

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Stella Chiweshe: “I ignored men, I ignored women, I ignored the government, I ignored the church, because I wanted to survive. That’s how I started to play”

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

Monday, April 19, 2021

How Astor Piazzolla transformed tango

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

Monday, April 19, 2021

Encounters Countdown: London Bulgarian Choir

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

Monday, March 29, 2021

Ballaké Sissoko: A Beginner's Guide

The Malian kora player has become an international star, noted for his myriad musical collaborations. Nigel Williamson examines his extensive back catalogue

Thursday, March 25, 2021

The 10 best Gospel albums

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...