Songlines

Songlines is the definitive magazine for world music – music that has its roots in all parts of the globe, from Mali to Mexico, India to Iraq. Whether this music is defined as traditional, contemporary, folk or fusion, Songlines is the only publication to truly represent and embrace it. However, Songlines is not just about music, but about how the music fits into the landscape; it’s about politics, history and identity, and the artists who incite change through their music. Through its extensive articles and reviews, Songlines is your essential guide to an extraordinary world of music and culture, whether you are starting on your journey of discovery or are already a seasoned fan.

Songlines

Ceasefire now!

CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE INCLUDE

TOP OF THE WORLD • On this issue’s compilation – our curated selection of new music and bonus tracks from across the globe

Time to Protest • Alarmed by the far-right surge, Cara de Espelho have gathered members of some of Portugal’s best-loved bands to create something new, and urgently needed. Gonçalo Frota meets the group and attends one of their first shows

Mohammad Syfkhan • After tragedy, the Kurdish musician left Syria for Ireland. There he found a community of musicians. “I love them,” he tells Daniel Spicer

Kingdom Come • Robin Denselow heads to Saudi Arabia to find integrated crowds, local groups searching for an identity and a very surprising rush to the stage

The 4 Corners and Centre of Enji’s Universe • The Munich-based Mongolian singer takes flight to spiritual jazz, finds comfort in wisdom and loses herself with the perfect page-turner before honing in on a home favourite

South Asian Joy • Revelatory qawwali, North Indian wonderment and frighteningly deep bass sitars were all in the offing as Simon Broughton attended the Southbank Centre’s festival of South Asian music

Marina Satti • Mateusz Dobrowolski checks in on the vocalist representing Greece at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest

Galestar Konexioa • An unlikely camaraderie between Welsh and Basque musicians is making its way to Wales

AWARDS & ACCORD • Lankum and Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin win big and platform politics at Irish broadcaster RTÉ’s 2024 folk awards

SPOTLIGHT Mexican Institute of Sound • Camilo Lara, by now a ‘certified’ Mexican institution, tells Celeste Cantor-Stephens about 20 years of going against the grain, upsetting scrap collectors and Disney-endorsed success

SIMON SAYS… • Encounters with the Afghan Youth Orchestra find Simon Broughton upbeat about the state of the region’s traditional music

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FEEDBACK • Letters, shout-outs, comments, emails and everything in between

Zakaria Ibrahim (1952-2024) • Founder of El Tanbura and icon of the Egyptian revolution

FEMME FABRICANTS • Already an icon of the Tunisian revolution thanks to her protest songs, EMEL’s latest album sees her work with a completely female team to make one of the most unapologetically forthright and adventurous albums of the year. “I figured that if I don’t insist on having female producers, I’ll just end up working with another man,” she tells Jane Cornwell

MY WORD IS FREE • An EMEL Discography

Middle Eastern Frequencies • The vibrant experimental music scenes across the MENA region continue to inspire and innovate on their own terms, despite the instability around them. Oli Warwick finds out more

SONGLiNES MUSIC AWARDS 2024 The Winners • It’s time to reveal the winners of the 16th Songlines Music Awards. From Best Artist and Best Group, both chosen by our readers, to our regional categories picking out the best albums from around the world, and Best Newcomer, our accolade for a seismic debut, all chosen by our music critics, it’s been another stellar year...