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| Songlines (magazine) | |
|---|---|
| Title | Songlines |
| Editor | Ian Anderson |
| Category | World music, music criticism, ethnomusicology |
| Frequency | Quarterly |
| Firstdate | 1999 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Based | London |
| Language | English |
| Issn | 1465-0083 |
Songlines (magazine) is a London‑based periodical devoted to contemporary world music, global folk music, and cross‑cultural musical exchange. Founded in 1999, it combines album reviews, artist interviews, travel journalism, festival coverage, and features on ethnomusicological traditions. The magazine has become a hub linking artists, labels, promoters, and audiences across networks such as the Glastonbury Festival, WOMEX, Montreux Jazz Festival, BBC Radio 3, and independent record labels.
Songlines was launched in 1999 by editor Ian Anderson in the context of late‑20th‑century interest in Paul Simon's recordings, Peter Gabriel's Real World label, and the growing visibility of artists like Ali Farka Touré, Buena Vista Social Club, and Youssou N'Dour. Early issues documented tours by acts associated with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Caetano Veloso, Mercedes Sosa, and Cesária Évora, while covering UK institutions such as the Barbican Centre and Royal Albert Hall that hosted international artists. Across the 2000s the magazine expanded alongside festivals such as SXSW, Roskilde Festival, Sziget Festival, and industry platforms including NARAS and IFPI. The editorial board has navigated shifts from print to digital in parallel with changes affecting labels like Nonesuch Records, Putumayo World Music, and Real World Records.
Songlines positions itself at the intersection of journalism and ethnomusicology, publishing criticism, long‑form features, and practical guides for listeners. Regular coverage has included profiles of figures such as Anoushka Shankar, Ravi Shankar, Tinariwen, Rokia Traoré, Goran Bregović, Björn Ulvaeus (in relation to world projects), and Ry Cooder (in relation to roots collaborations). The magazine reviews releases from labels including World Circuit, Mesa/Bluemoon, ECM Records, and major companies like Sony Music when they reissue archival recordings. Special sections explore regional scenes—e.g., Mali's guitar traditions, Cuba's son, India's classical gharanas, Japan's min'yō—and document artists involved in cross‑border projects such as collaborations between Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder or projects featuring Sting and Shakira in philanthropic settings.
The magazine is published quarterly and distributed through newsagents, direct subscriptions, specialist retailers, and festival outlets at events like WOMAD, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. International distribution partners have included sellers in the United States (New York, Los Angeles), mainland Europe (Paris, Berlin, Rome), and Australasia (Sydney, Auckland). Circulation figures have fluctuated with the decline in print media alongside growth in digital readership; the title has relied on a mix of subscription revenue, single‑issue sales, advertising from labels, ticketing partners such as Ticketmaster affiliates, and sponsorships connected to broadcasters like BBC World Service and public institutions such as the British Council.
Songlines established the Songlines Music Awards to recognize contemporary global artists, honoring musicians such as Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal, Lila Downs, Ali Farka Touré, Omara Portuondo, and Buena Vista Social Club contributors. The awards created categories for best album, best artist, and best cross‑cultural collaboration, and have been staged in partnership with venues and organizations including Southbank Centre and private sponsors. The magazine and its critics have received industry commendations from panels at WOMEX and nominations in specialist press awards; its critics have been cited in aggregator lists by outlets such as The Guardian and The New York Times features on world music.
Songlines has published writing by journalists, ethnomusicologists, and critics who specialize in artists such as Cesária Évora, Caetano Veloso, Fela Kuti, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Buena Vista Social Club veterans, and contemporary figures like Anoushka Shankar and Amadou & Mariam. Contributors have included scholars connected to institutions such as SOAS University of London, University of Oxford, and Columbia University's music departments, alongside freelance writers who have covered tours and festivals for outlets like The Guardian, The Independent, Rolling Stone, and Pitchfork. Interview subjects have ranged from veterans such as Ravi Shankar and Manu Chao to modern crossover artists including Sinead O'Connor, Björk, and Sting when engaging with global traditions.
The magazine maintains an online platform featuring news, streaming playlists, and multimedia interviews, integrating audio samples from artists on labels like Nonesuch Records and Real World Records and embedding videos from festivals such as Glastonbury and WOMAD. Songlines has produced podcasts and video interviews recorded at venues including the Roundhouse and Union Chapel, collaborating with broadcasters such as BBC Radio 3 and music platforms like Bandcamp and YouTube for broader reach. Its digital archive supports music discovery for readers exploring catalogues from regions such as West Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
The magazine is credited with amplifying non‑Western artists within Anglo‑European markets and influencing festival programming at events like WOMAD, Roskilde Festival, and SXSW. Critics have praised Songlines for informed curation while some scholars have debated representation choices in relation to debates involving cultural appropriation and archival ethics raised by institutions like Smithsonian Folkways. Despite such debates, Songlines remains a reference for listeners, promoters, and academics tracing the trajectories of artists associated with labels such as World Circuit and movements spanning from Afrobeat to contemporary fusion projects.
Category:Music magazines published in the United Kingdom