A Beginner's Guide
Steeleye Span: Beginner's Guide
Hark to this parcel of rogues, as we place the career of these ever-evolving English folk-rock icons under the microscope
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Features
Afel Bocoum interview: “By the time corona arrived we had already more than enough going on here in Mali”
A key figure in Ali Farka Touré’s band, Afel Bocoum is releasing a long-awaited and rare solo album that finds him stepping into the limelight. He talks to Bram Posthumus about living in exile in Bamako, the situation in Mali and his desire to reconnect with the world
Features
Dispatch from Kingston, Jamaica
Attendees of the Island Music Conference discuss the legacy of Jamaica’s golden era during Reggae Month
Features
Meeting Muireann Bradley
Paul Slade speaks to a young Irish guitarist Muireann Bradley, who is infatuated with Reverend Gary Davis, Elizabeth Cotten and John Fahey and whose debut album was one of the sleeper hits of 2023
Features
At home with Ali Farka Touré
To record Ali Farka Touré’s album 'Niafunké', World Circuit took a mobile studio all the way to Mali. Nigel Williamson went to meet Touré for Songlines in the summer of 1999 and found out why his commitments at home meant that the mountain had to go to Mohammed
Features
Eliza Carthy: ‘I just don’t get why guitars are revered in the way they are’
Eliza explores the “daft” world of guitars before two passionate music friends begin her conversion…
Features
50 Rhythms of the World (Part 1 – A to M)
Discover a whole world of music through the rhythms that bring it to life with our A to Z of 50 Rhythms of the World. This is Part 1, from Adi Talam to Morna...
Live reviews
Sam Lee, Round Chapel, London, June 13 2024
Singer and conservationist Sam Lee blends environmental activism with enchanting folk music in live show for 'songdreaming' tour
News
Obituary: Kassé Mady Diabaté 1949-2018
Mali has lost one of its greatest singers of all time, Kassé Mady Diabaté, who passed away in Bamako on May 24, aged 69. Lucy Durán writes about the life of a much-loved musician and friend.
A Beginner's Guide
Bassekou Kouyaté: A Beginner's Guide
Simultaneously innovating and upholding the traditions of the ngoni, Bassekou Kouyaté is a name synonymous with his instrument’s modern sound. Nigel Williamson rounds up his sparkling career
Features
Toumani Diabaté and Ballaké Sissoko: 21 Strings
With Toumani and Ballaké’s epochal New Ancient Strings to be reissued for its 25th anniversary, we speak to Lucy Durán, the album’s producer, about the unique recording and her documentary tracing the history of the kora
Features
Essaouira Echoes: Julian Belbachir’s cross-continental project unites Australian and Moroccan musicians
Seth Jordan joins Julian Belbachir for a five-week trek across Morocco to launch a new cross-cultural Moroccan-Australian ensemble
Features
Salif Keita: “The youth are into machines… We are about to lose our traditional instruments”
After announcing his retirement in 2018, Malian singer and musician Salif Keita has slowly returned to the spotlight following a series of shows last year. Now, he’s making the comeback official with an extraordinary new album
Features
Celtic Connections 2025: much-loved festival to warm up winter nights in Glasgow
Audiences can look forward to a diverse line-up of homegrown and international musical talent
