Thursday, July 31, 2025
Roots Round-Up (Irma Thomas, Chicken Milk, Missy Raines & Allegheny and more)
Bluegrass, galactic soul, honky-tonk, New Orleans creole traditions and musical mischief in our latest round-up of North American roots
Features
Thursday, July 17, 2025
A Conversation with 47SOUL: "Music is medicine"
The Shamstep pioneers formed over a decade ago by four members of the Palestinian diaspora. In the context of Israel's ongoing siege of Gaza, their message has come into sharp focus. Erin Cobby speaks to the group
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Rebel Yells: 10 international anthems of protest and resistance
Joe Mulhall raises a dissenting voice with 10 international anthems of protest and resistance main photo by Syd Shelton
Thursday, July 17, 2025
All aboard Africa Express, next stop... Bahidorá
The globe-straddling cross-genre collective touch down in Mexico for an inspiring week of making music. Megan Iacobini de Fazio reports...
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Celebrating 60 years of Les Cousins, the folk club that shaped a generation
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
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Mádé Kuti: “We can’t just keep blaming politicians. What are we doing? Do we treat others with respect?”
The Nigerian composer and multi-instrumentalist discusses his distinctive musical evolution. “Afrobeat is part of my DNA,” hears Daniel Brown
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Hekate: “We just completely lose ourselves in the music and the energy of us three singing together”
Jo Frost meets a bewitching a cappella trio at the forefront of a new Norwegian trad dance revival
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Triptic: eclectic, energetic and thoroughly intoxicating
Billy Rough tracks down a Scottish trio swirling through tango, klezmer, jazz and ‘Northern’ folk
Thursday, July 17, 2025
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
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Orkney Folk Festival: wild thyme in Stromness
Simon Broughton heads to the Orkney Folk Festival for its breathtaking and inspiring finale
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Label of Love: Canary Records
Prolific label specialising in the music of early 20th-century American immigrant communities
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Avi Avital: 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
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Save the Waves: musicians rally to defend NPR and PBS as US announces public radio cuts
A new compilation has been launched in response to proposed cuts that could silence public broadcasting in the US
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Dispatch from 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
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Hailu Mergia: A Beginner's Guide
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
