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Tony Allen, the man who put the 'beat' in Afrobeat, dies aged 79

The legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen died in Paris April 30 2020

Setting the Scene: Mary Ocher

We speak to Mary Ocher, a musician, performer, poet and visual artist to find out where she calls ‘home’

Obituary: Chris Strachwitz (1931-2023)

Farewell to Chris Strachwitz, the founder of Arhoolie Records and a legendary chronicler and supporter of American roots music

Northern Lights Festival, Tromsø, Norway, January 27-February 4

Kidjo crowns Arctic role with stunning orchestral takes of her lesser-visited classics

Introducing... Santrofi

The new band from Ghana are injecting a fresh energy into the country’s traditional highlife style. Jo Frost speaks to them

Sasando | Musical Instrument Guide (with Aga Ujma)

The little-known Indonesian zither has a new champion determined to raise its profile. Aga Ujma speaks about her sail-powered instrument

Evolving Beats: Interview with Spëcht

Spëcht, formally known as Hands in Motion, tell Justin Turford about their rebranding and bringing together music from all four corners of the globe

“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

Features

Introducing La Perla: “We sing about the raw violence that we’ve lived in this country”

Meet the Colombian trio who are using the rhythms and vernacular of their traditional culture to transmit a message of defiance

Features

Jake Blount interview: “I wanted to find a way to represent our traditions while also looking forward”

American banjo and fiddle player Jake Blount explains to Alexandra Petropoulos how he’s using the sounds and lessons of history and the global climate crisis to envision a new future for Black spiritual music

News

Review: WOMAD 2018 - Sunday

Despite the predicted dire weather conditions that thankfully never fully materialised, the final day at WOMAD was blessed with a rainbow and plenty of musical colour

A Beginner's Guide

Jim Moray: A Beginner's Guide

Once the wunderkind of the English folk scene, Jim Moray’s sound has matured and coalesced over his career. Tim Cumming dives into his catalogue

Features

Manu Chao's Clandestino appeared at the cross-fade of the millennium and sounded perfect – a radical masterpiece

Peter Culshaw reminisces on his time biographing the elusive Manu Chao as his classic solo album, Clandestino, is re-released 20 years on

Live reviews

25th Istanbul Jazz Festival review

In its 25th year, the festival has gone from strength to strength, bringing together the brightest Turkish talent and sourcing quality acts from across the globe.