The annual Gnawa festival in Essaouira, Morocco has just celebrated its silver anniversary. Torben Holleufer has been a regular visitor since its first incarnation and returns to assess its impact, reflecting on some of the magical, unique and heartbreaking moments of the past 25 editions
Celebrating the innovative, multi-faceted career of the British singer-songwriter and percussive dance champion
Another year, another full season of festivals to revive the soul and please the senses! Where better to plan your summer of culture than with our annual guide to the best festivals in the UK?
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
Three world music festival directors dive deep into sounds from Switzerland’s global and folk artists and tell Songlines who, given the chance, they would programme and why
The radical folkie talks to Julian May about Rock Against Racism, Shirley and Dolly Collins, Woody Guthrie, skiffle and retaining his relevance
The kora has become almost synonymous with the music of Mali. Nigel Williamson examines the career of its chief exponent Toumani Diabaté
Jane Cornwell speaks to eco-minded composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Cosmo Sheldrake, whose interest in endangered species and enigmatic writers inspires works such as his new sophomore set, Wake Up Calls
Peter Culshaw reminisces on his time biographing the elusive Manu Chao as his classic solo album, Clandestino, is re-released 20 years on
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...
Kanda Bongo Man, Etran de L’Aïr and Dur-Dur Band Int bring danceable African sounds to the Welsh mountains…
Jo Frost speaks to trailblazing Moroccan musician Asmâa Hamzaoui and her sister Aicha about Gnawa traditions that have been passed down through generations, and the need for women to express themselves in their culture
The comedian and writer tells Julian May about a childhood fascination with the past and the parallels between stand-up and the music he loves
Garth Cartwright travels to Bucharest to preview the revitalised and reformed Romanian Gypsy band, Taraf de Haidouks, who are making their UK debut as Taraf de Caliu, alongside Impex
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