A soulful show of Macedonian music and dance celebrates the country's rich culture and uncovers its Balkan, Turkish, European and Romani elements. We spoke to the show's creator ahead of their UK dates.
Diane Coetzer talks to the South African band BCUC who are exporting their traditional Soweto music across the globe and mesmerising audiences, one transcendental show at a time
Andrew Taylor-Dawson talks to the Ethiopian jazz legend about his country’s golden age and his musical resurrection via the Awesome Tapes From Africa label
A Songlines playlist for Apple Music exploring Scandinavian folk music that evokes the world of JRR Tolkien by Emilia Amper, Rydvall Mjelva, Slow Moving Clouds, and many more
Bomba Estéreo’s Simón Mejía has announced a new short film, El Duende, exploring the myths, traditions and significance of the marimba in the Colombian Pacific
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
Emily Stabell finds out about a grand project bringing together musicians and writers to imagine a better future
The Indonesian island of Bali resounds with the vibrant, often thunderous music of its gamelans – the ubiquitous percussion orchestras of bronze and bamboo. Andy Channing conjures up the magic of its many incarnations
Malian singer Khaira Arby, known as the 'Nightingale of Timbuktu' died August 19. Andy Morgan pays tribute to her exceptional life and career.
Oliver Craske profiles the man who adapted a folk instrument – the santoor – into a vehicle for Indian classical music
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
Diane Coetzer talks to the South African band BCUC who are exporting their traditional Soweto music across the globe and mesmerising audiences, one transcendental show at a time
Kora music gets a radical reworking with Ballaké Sissoko welcoming South African guitarist Derek Gripper into the tradition
The summer of 2020 will be remembered as a giant void in the festival calendar with coronavirus causing a deluge of postponements and cancellations from Shetland to Sarawak. In a show of support for the festival community, musicians and Songlines contributors share their favourite festival memories over the years. Read more in the current issue (#160) available now.
The life and times of Kenyan pop, introduced by Doug Paterson
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