Songlines

Launched in 1999, Songlines is the leading magazine covering traditional, contemporary, folk and fusion music from around the world. Each edition is packed with the latest album reviews, artist interviews, festival profiles and travel adventures from every corner of the globe. Music is about culture, politics, history and the environment and Songlines is your essential guide to it all.

If you’re new to Songlines, download our Aug/Sept 2014 issue (#102) for free. Features include an interview with Afrobeat pioneers Tony Allen & Orlando Julius, as they both celebrate 50-year careers with new albums.

There is also an interview with Scottish author, avid music consumer and vinyl addict Ian Rankin, who speaks to Jo Frost (Songlines editor) about how he’s always willing to take a punt on new music, especially if there’s a good story behind it.

Also featured in the trial issue: a feature on Israeli musician Idan Raichel and his collaboration with Malian musician Vieux Farka Touré; Malian jeli singer Kassé Mady Diabaté; and violinists Anna Phoebe and Jyotsna Srikanth. We also pick our Essential 10 Afrobeat albums that you must own, plus Chris Moss provides a Beginner’s Guide to salsa superstar Rubén Blades.

The October 2024 issue (#201) of Songlines is out now, and it’s a ‘ritual issue’ looking at the ceremonial and spiritual in music-making. We take a look at the unprecedented global popularity of Pakistan’s qawwali star Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, we speak to nomadic film-maker Vincent Moon about the thousands of films he’s made of ‘local music’ around the world and we celebrate 25 editions of the Gnawa Festival in Essaouira. Comedian and actor Omid Djalili tells us about his love of prog rock, Persian music and Carlos Santana mash-ups, we pay tribute to Malian kora legend Toumani Diabaté, Sámi singer Mari Boine tells us why she finally feels at home and Svetlana Spajić muses on how she learnt her ancestor’s traditions like a “second language.” There’s a Beginner’s Guide to the always-creative Brazilian singer and guitarist Tiganá Santana, we hear about an intuitive new collaboration from Raymond Antrobus & Evelyn Glennie, and Heal & Harrow tell us how they have paid tribute to the women who lost their lives during the Scottish witch trials. Plus, Amadou & Mariam, June Tabor & Oysterband, Buzz’ Ayaz, Marta Pereira da Costa, K.O.G,WOMAD, Ben Edge, Charlie Parr, Morgenland Festival, Essential 10 Global Ambient albums and a Dispatch from flood-hit Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Plus, all the usual news, listings, reviews, competitions and so much more. Subscribers will also receive our accompanying compilation (CD + digital) featuring ten tracks from the best new music releases, and five bonus selections to accompany the issue.