A Beginner's Guide
Martin Carthy | A Beginner's Guide
One of British folk music’s most influential figures is marking his 80th birthday. Julian May delves into his prolific and remarkable recordings
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Features
Stick in the Wheel: “There’s a long history of protest and we are part of that”
Tim Cumming talks to East London’s Stick in the Wheel about the rich loaming of folkloric and historical sources that feeds into their distinctive take on ‘the music of the people’
Essential 10
Afro-Brazilian Spirituals: Essential 10
Driven by axé (energy) in service to the orixás (gods), these top albums, selected by Russ Slater Johnson, draw on Brazil’s African diasporic religions and spirituality
Best New Albums
Best New Albums – April 2021 (Omar Sosa, San Salvador, Christine Salem, Warsaw Village Band)
Outstanding new releases from Omar Sosa, San Salvador, Christine Salem, Warsaw Village Band and more... Tracks from all of these albums are included on the free cover-CD with the April 2021 issue of Songlines
Features
A conversation with Alice Gerrard: “That was just the way it was back then, I mean, it was definitely a man’s world”
A pivotal and pioneering figure in the history of US old-time and bluegrass, Alice Gerrard sits down with Devon Léger for a career-spanning chat through her highs and lows and how she blazed a trail for other female performers
Features
The Rough Guide to World Music: Ireland
Ireland’s traditional music has some innate and elusive quality whose appeal has spread far beyond its shores
News
Obituary: Shivkumar Sharma (1938-2022)
The Indian composer and santoor maestro whose work spanned the divide between classical and popular music has passed away, aged 84
Features
Top 10 Albums of 2020
Here are 10 of our favourite albums from the past 12 months, including releases from Sam Lee, Cocanha, Afel Bocoum, Siti Muharam, Damir Imamović and more...
Features
The Gentle Good: “I’m a city boy, but I’ve always been fascinated by nature”
Elliw Iwan talks to the Welsh singer and musician whose latest album goes from protest songs about lost valleys to a collaboration with one of Rajasthan’s finest folk groups
Best New Albums
Best New Albums – March 2021 (Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin, Made Kuti, Urban Village, Edgelarks)
Great new releases from Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin, Made Kuti, Urban Village, Edgelarks and more... Tracks from all of these albums are included on the free cover-CD with the March 2021 issue of Songlines
Features
Khiyo: Bengali Tribute
Khiyo talk to Jo Frost about the impact of Bangladesh’s rich musical traditions and that country’s poetry on their long-awaited second album, Bondona
Features
Peter Gabriel Discusses ‘Biko’, His Anti-Apartheid Anthem
In 1980 Peter Gabriel released ‘Biko’, raising awareness of South Africa’s apartheid regime. It’s since become a human rights anthem across the world. Gabriel tells the story of its genesis and legacy
News
FolkEast Returns to Sotterley Estate for 2026; Major Headliners Announced
The 2026 edition will bring a focused, story-driven programme and mark the return of festival patrons The Young’uns for their first performances in Sotterley
Features
Roots Round-Up (Abigail Lapell, Scott H Biram, Reyna Tropical and more)
A selection of essential releases from the US and Canada including new albums from Creekbed Carter Hogan, Abigail Lapell and Reyna Tropical
Features
The Beatles in India
Nigel Williamson explores The Beatles and India, a new film lifting the lid on the Fab Four’s journey east and the impact that Indian music and culture had on the group’s own sound and legacy
