Tuesday, April 12, 2022
“Drums are spiritual – however they are used” | Alai K interview
Prescribing some dance floor therapy with the Kenyan-born, Berlin-based ‘musical witchdoctor’
Features
Monday, April 11, 2022
Soapbox: Thoughts of a World Music Rover
Gerald Seligman muses on the unique global sounds that once caught his ear and champions the undying spark of creativity
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
“The music takes me over. I dive in so deep that I go into a trance… Music is who I am” | Rokia Koné interview
The new voice of Mali, Rokia Koné, teamed up with producer-to-the-stars Jacknife Lee for an album sure to go down as a classic. Jane Cornwell catches up with this seemingly improbable, though quite inspired, pop partnership. Photography by Karen Paulina Biswell
Monday, March 28, 2022
AR Rahman: “The independent scene is growing... Beauty is created by beautiful minds who may not be popular”
Ashanti Omkar catches up with the prolific film composer AR Rahman about his recent projects, the all-female Firdaus Orchestra and a new platform giving a boost to independent South Asian artists
Friday, March 25, 2022
“The Tyvan word byzaa refers to the mooing sound made by a calf” | Choduraa Tumat
The beacon of Tyvan female throat-singing shines light on her rare four-stringed instrument, the byzaanchy
Monday, March 21, 2022
“I never had a teacher, but I would watch other percussionists” | Élage Diouf
Robin Denselow catches up with the Québec-based Senegalese singer-songwriter and drummer who has just released a new album
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Son Jarocho: A Beginner's Guide
From fandangos to the silver screen, Kary Stewart outlines the evolution of the traditional folk style from Veracruz, Mexico with a record of resistance
Monday, March 14, 2022
Music Meeting Festival 2022 (Sponsored Content)
Get the lowdown on the wonderful Pentecost weekender held this summer in the Dutch town of Nijmegen
Monday, March 14, 2022
Elvis Costello – My World: “We need to get free of being so impressed with our own continuity and music”
The British singer-songwriter tells Russ Slater all about his disparate musical tastes, from country to Ethiopian music and almost everything in between. Photography by Mark Seliger
Monday, March 7, 2022
Arabic Music Days (Sponsored Content)
Berlin's Pierre Boulez Saal plays host to a week-long festival of Arabic music, art and film
Monday, March 7, 2022
“We're trying to make traditional music more accessible” | DLÙ
The up-and-coming Scottish group speak about all things Gaelic and their forthcoming debut release, Moch
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
“Our island knows the ocean is not the same as before” | The Return of Small Island Big Song
Jane Cornwell speaks with Tim Cole and BaoBao Chen, the producers of the Indo-Pacific collective Small Island Big Song, about their second project, which focuses on our troublesome relationship with nature. Illustrations: Jenn Da Costa
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
“We're using art as our ammunition” | Azueï
In their attempt to unify the cultures of Kiskeya, this unique ensemble from Haiti and the Dominican Republic are making waves both at home and abroad
Thursday, February 17, 2022
“A sound full of country funk and spiritual joy” | Introducing Changüí, the music from Cuba’s sugarcane fields
As the world celebrated the anniversary of Buena Vista Social Club, a compilation showcasing another traditional Cuban sound, changüí, snuck under the radar. Garth Cartwright reports on this syncopated dance music
Monday, February 14, 2022
South Korean Instrumental Albums | The Essential 10
South Korea boasts a wealth of artists who are performing both time-honoured and progressive music on traditional instruments. Here Simon Broughton selects ten of the country’s finest instrumental albums
