Features
Introducing La Perla: “We sing about the raw violence that we’ve lived in this country”
Meet the Colombian trio who are using the rhythms and vernacular of their traditional culture to transmit a message of defiance
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Features
Franck Biyong: “I just want to tear down the barrier that separates African music from the mainstream”
Frustrated by the state of popular African music, Franck Biyong decided to create his own ‘Afrolectric’ sound inspired by Le Grand Kallé, Fela Kuti, Manu Dibango and the greats of yesteryear
Features
Tiken Jah Fakoly: “In Africa, I can’t perform as much as I’d like. Sponsors are afraid of my image”
During his career, Tiken Jah Fakoly has fused reggae with unwavering pan-African activism. The Ivorian reggae icon speaks to Daniel Brown about his latest release and how the fight for justice in Africa is far from over
Features
La Cueca, Antes de Dios (To the Moon & Back #2)
Film-maker Vincent Moon returns for a second instalment of To the Moon & Back, a series of largely unpublished films from his vast archives. This film takes us to Chile for a deep dive into cueca, the national dance of Chile
Live reviews
Samba-Festival Coburg review
Every year, the sleepy town of Coburg is overrun with musicians, dancers, and music fans for the largest samba festival outside of Brazil
Features
Welcome to Africa’s largest music festival – Nyege Nyege
At the heart of Uganda’s vibrant, innovative and optimistic music scene, ‘Africa’s largest music festival’ Nyege Nyege continues to surprise and delight
Features
Introducing... Guiss Guiss Bou Bess
Jenny Cathcart speaks to the Senegalese group who are making waves with their inventive, contemporary take on sabar drumming
Live reviews
Banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck shines in Dublin
Béla Fleck & his band of stalwart musicians impress in Ireland's capital
Features
“The music takes me over. I dive in so deep that I go into a trance… Music is who I am” | Rokia Koné interview
The new voice of Mali, Rokia Koné, teamed up with producer-to-the-stars Jacknife Lee for an album sure to go down as a classic. Jane Cornwell catches up with this seemingly improbable, though quite inspired, pop partnership. Photography by Karen Paulina Biswell
Features
Introducing... Bantou Mentale: “We need edge – the world is falling apart, the Congo is falling apart, everything is falling apart”
Get ready for a new global sound via Kinshasa and Paris. Jo Frost speaks to the band
A Beginner's Guide
Amália Rodrigues: A Beginner's Guide
Pleasure, pain and poetry – the ‘Queen of Fado’ gave Portugal its soundtrack during a turbulent 20th century. Chris Moss looks back over Amália’s career
News
Obituary: Maurice El Médioni (1928-2024)
A key artist in the development of Algerian chaabi and rai music, Maurice El Médioni, the boogie-woogie maestro, has passed away
Features
Sarod | Musical Instrument Guide (with Soumik Datta)
Soumik Datta reveals to Simon Broughton the secrets of his innovative, go-faster sarod
Features
Al-Qasar interview: “We live in a world of very complex identities, with multinational families and lots of migration”
French-American musician and producer Thomas Attar Bellier talks about his sizzling new psych-rock unit who are fusing North African trance and Middle Eastern melodies with elements of alternative rock
Features
Balinese gamelan: a complete guide to a unique world of sound
The Indonesian island of Bali resounds with the vibrant, often thunderous music of its gamelans – the ubiquitous percussion orchestras of bronze and bamboo. Andy Channing conjures up the magic of its many incarnations
