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

Wind of change

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

A Cellar of Song • Tim Cumming talks to Jon Wilks about his Second Cousins stage at FolkEast, and the impact and influence of the legendary Les Cousins folk club on succeeding generations

THE GLOBE AT A GLANCE

Mádé Kuti • The Nigerian composer and multi-instrumentalist discusses his distinctive musical evolution. “Afrobeat is part of my DNA,” hears Daniel Brown

TO THE MOON AND BACK #5 • Vincent Moon releases Traces of Crimea, a feature-length film documenting the extraordinary music and stories of the Tatars, the Krymchaks, the Greeks and the Bulgarian communities of Crimea two years before its annexation by Russia.

Hekate • Jo Frost meets a bewitching a cappella trio at the forefront of a new Norwegian trad dance revival

Triptic • Billy Rough tracks down a Scottish trio swirling through tango, klezmer, jazz and ‘Northern’ folk

SOUNDCHECK • The Songlines team are currently listening to…

The 4 Corners and Centre of Nyboma’s Universe • The legend of Congolese rumba picks a selection of albums and songs that shaped him and continue to be his inspiration, decades into his highly influential career

Wild Thyme in Stromness • Simon Broughton heads to the Orkney Folk Festival for its breathtaking and inspiring finale

IN BRIEF

Canary Records • Prolific label specialising in the music of early 20th-century American immigrant communities

Essential Records

Sweet Intuition • Mandolinist Avi Avital will be joined at the BBC Proms by a chamber ensemble and the Rustavi Choir to celebrate music from around the Black Sea

Save the Waves • A new compilation has been launched in response to proposed cuts that could silence public broadcasting in the US

Vancouver, Canada • Russell Higham visits Vancouver on the eve of its annual Folk Music Festival, where he finds Canadians standing together against US President Trump’s threats to the country’s sovereignty

Foday Musa Soso (1950–2025) • Gambian griot, composer and kora master

Petroloukas Chalkias (1934–2025) • King of the Epirus clarinet

Louis Moholo (1940–2025) • Seminal South African drummer and bandleader

SIMON SAYS… • Vivid images of Etruscan music are visible in tombs dating back two-and-a-half thousand years. Simon Broughton takes a look

Next Issue… • September 2025 (#211) On sale August 22

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

COMPETITIONS

A Conversation with 47SOUL • The Shamstep pioneers formed over a decade ago by four members of the Palestinian diaspora. Since the 2023 war broke out, their message has come into sharp focus. Erin Cobby speaks to the group

REBEL YELLS • Joe Mulhall raises a dissenting voice with 10 international anthems of protest and resistance

Hailu Mergia • Andrew Taylor-Dawson talks to the Ethiopian jazz legend about his country’s golden...