Features
“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
Search results for
Live reviews
The Spirit of Tengri 2019 review
Jim Hickson visited the seventh edition of The Spirit of Tengri festival in Almaty, Kazakhstan to discover the wonderful - and the weird - of 'contemporary ethnic music.'
Features
Ritual Healing | an interview with Ayom
Ahead of their appearance at this year's Songlines Music Awards ceremony, revisit an interview with the Barcelona-based Ayom, whose push for greater global understanding via ritualistic Afro-Lusophone engagements bagged them 2021's Best Group category
Features
“The big mining companies trying to take this land and push the reindeer people away” | How Solju are standing up for the Sámi culture
When not herding reindeer, Finnish mother-daughter duo Solju are bringing the Sámi tradition of joiking to wider audiences
Features
Dispatch from: Asunción, Paraguay
Through fantastical water instruments, Sonidos de la Tierra have been helping bring both music and environmental activism to Paraguay’s communities. Huw Hennessy finds out more…
Features
Buena Vista Social Club at 30: Chan Chan Changed Everything
Jane Cornwell unpicks the sepia mythology of Buena Vista Social Club to reveal a story of chance, politics and marketing, turning a Havana recording session into a cultural phenomenon
Features
Joshua Burnside chooses the five most important albums in his life
The Belfast-based singer looks at the albums that formed his musical consciousness and remain integral to it
Features
The Gurdjieff Ensemble's Sacred Movements
As Armenia’s The Gurdjieff Ensemble make their first visit to the UK for Songlines Encounters Festival, Simon Broughton talks to the group’s director about the enigmatic composer and mystic who inspired the ensemble
Features
10 Essential Bulgarian Albums
Nikolas-Kaan Yilmaz picks out ten albums that trace the nation’s fascinating musical timeline, asking Bulgarian musicians and fans of Bulgarian music alike to share some of their favourites along the way
Features
Making music in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp
Kakuma Sound’s co-founder reports from one of the world’s largest refugee camps, an inspirational musical wellspring for social change
Features
Cimafunk interview: “You must never forget where you come from”
Jane Cornwell catches up with Cimafunk, the Cuban sensation taking the world by storm
Features
Oumou Sangaré interview: “Africa can evolve while preserving certain traditions that are worth preserving”
Oumou Sangaré contemplates the current state of her native Mali. She speaks to Andy Morgan about how music and mogoya may be the only things that can save it. Photography by Holly Whittaker
Features
Chango Spasiuk: A Beginner's Guide
Chris Moss shines a spotlight on Argentina’s chamamé music and the career of one of its leading ambassadors, accordionist Chango Spasiuk
Features
VRï interview: “Traditional music is owned by the people”
The Welsh trio VRï are injecting new life into traditional songs, mining the country’s past for the stories of everyday people
Features
Beyond the myths: Iceland Airwaves reveals the real sound of Iceland
Charis McGowan visits Reykjavik, where Iceland Airwaves is showcasing the many layers of Icelandic music. “It’s such a young culture”, she discovers
