Songlines - January 2025
The January 2025 issue (#204) of Songlines is out now, and it’s our end-of-year issue. We’ll be saluting the best releases from the previous 12 months, including announcing the winners of the Songlines Music Awards and discussing the issues that have been on our minds. We look at the legacy of Manu Chao, who made a long-overdue comeback, and speak to Arooj Aftab and Mali Obomsawin about the years they’ve had. We also chat with the Ivory Coast’s roots reggae legend, Tiken Jah Fakoly, and Brazil’s hottest singer right now, Xenia França, and have a conversation with Carnatic violinist L Subramaniam about his extraordinary career. We profile Selda Bagçan, Turkey’s iconic singer who continues to tour and influence new generations. Plus, record labels Topic Records and NØ FØRMAT! have important anniversaries this year, and we will show them some appreciation. We speak to St Vincent about her love of Latin American music, hear from Donald Shaw about Capercaillie’s unexpected tour of the Middle East, find out why Band Aid’s Christmas fundraising single continues to be a problem and explore Ghanaian palmwine music, as well as all the usual news, listings, reviews, competitions, and more.
Print and digital subscribers will also receive our accompanying Top of the World compilation featuring our pick of the month’s best new music – The Unthanks, Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens, Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra, Saagara and more – as well as five bonus tracks to celebrate NØ FØRMAT’s 20th anniversary from Oumou Sangaré, Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal, Piers Faccini and more.
You can buy the latest issue or subscribe to get this and future issues right to your door as soon as they're published. We also offer digital subscriptions that give you access to every one of our 204 issues from 1999 to 2024… and beyond.