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

The Time Has Come

CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE INCLUDE

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

LUX Christens London • Charis McGowan ‘finds God’ as Rosalía brings her fourth album to London’s O2 Arena

THE GLOBE AT A GLANCE

Super Panela • Mark Sampson meets a Toulouse band whose Afro-Colombian brass and balafon sound was forged on the streets of Cartagena

SOUNDCHECK • Songlines are currently listening to…

Olivia Chaney • Ahead of premiering a new work on Henry Purcell, the British singer talks to Tim Cumming about how she straddles the worlds of classical, folk and contemporary

LUIZA • Erin Cobby meets the Franco-Brazilian singer whose debut distils a 30-year journey into a restless, joyful record

Who Is Milo J? • A teenage trap phenomenon who became the youngest Argentine to play NPR’s Tiny Desk – flanked by a murga troupe and a copy of Martín Fierro. Humphrey Inzillo on the artist trading reggaeton beats for his country’s deepest folk traditions

The 4 Corners and Centre of Natacha Atlas’ Universe • A leading light in the world of Arabic-Western fusion, the Belgian-Egyptian singer picks out the albums which have inspired her life’s work

IN BRIEF

Outhere Records • Chris Wheatley speaks to the German imprint eager to bring varied African sounds to wider audiences

Balladeste • Oliver Craske meets the string duo who compose by improvising together – weaving Indian raga, gamelan and folk song into entrancing miniatures

Maputo Rendezvous • A photographic journey through the recent Mozambique Music Meeting (4–8 March 2026) in Maputo, capturing the performances, faces and energy that brought the event to life.

Totó La Momposina (1940–2026) • ‘Queen of Cumbia’

Ferenc Sebő (1947–2026) • Hungarian dance house pioneer

Neil Sparkes (1967–2026) • Poet, percussionist, polymath

SIMON SAYS… • In Senegal, Simon Broughton comes across local art with deep links to musical traditions whose future is now under threat

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

COMPETITIONS

A Conversation with SEU JORGE • He first reached the world as an actor before a musical career caught up with his filmic fame. Oleno Netto meets the Brazilian whose long-gestated new album might just be a career high

SWEET CHILDREN • Musicians shaped by Pentangle – from folk and psych to jazz and beyond – celebrate the famous five’s enduring allure

JACQUI MCSHEE and the Pentangle Legacy • SHE WAS THE VOICE AT THE HEART OF PENTANGLE’S GROUNDBREAKING SOUND – AND, SIX DECADES ON, SHE’S STILL CARRYING THE FLAME, IN FINE VOICE AND AS MODEST AS EVER. ROBIN DENSELOW TALKS TO THE BAND’S SOLE SURVIVING FOUNDING MEMBER

BASKET OF DELIGHT • ROBIN DENSELOW PICKS OUT FIVE PENTANGLE SONGS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE GROUP’S MUSICAL RANGE

BROWN WIMPENNY • Eleven musicians, three cities, and a rule that nobody turns a profit. Julian May meets the...