WELCOME
Founding Editor Simon Broughton Publisher & Managing Director Paul Geoghegan Editor Russ Slater Johnson Assistant Editor Emma Rycroft Art Director Juliet Boucher Advertisement Manager James Anderson-Hanney Online Content Editor James McCarthy Listings Editor Tatiana Rucinska Assisted this issue by Spencer Grady Marketing Manager John Barnett Marketing Assistant Oscar Faulkner Cover Image Shelby Duncan Contributing Editors Jane Cornwell, Mark Ellingham & Nigel Williamson Subscriptions Director Sally Boettcher Editorial Director Martin Cullingford CEO Ben Allen Chairman Mark Allen SUBSCRIPTIONS UK: 0800 137 201 Overseas: +44 (0)1722 716997 subscriptions@markallengroup.com ADVERTISING +44 (0)20 7501 6683
First choice folkie
It’s interesting reading about the new Scottish project Thirteen North who are trying to capture the ambience of a folk club for a string ensemble concert (see p9). In many ways, this has been part of my aim as editor, to create a magazine that is as rigorous as any academic journal, that is endlessly curious in its search for music, but that is also personable, that welcomes you in. To that end, when I took over I wanted to replace our previous Folk Focus page with a column written by an esteemed folk artist from our lands, as wouldn’t it be wonderful to hear about the folk scene from someone in the midst of it? There was one name at the top of my list: Eliza Carthy. I’m sure many of you are aware of her. Daughter of Norma Waterson and Martin Carthy, she is folk royalty… and much more. She created her career on her own terms, never pandering to what might be expected from the child of two esteemed f igures. She can draw on a huge amount of experiences, from growing up within a folk family, and through her continuous collaborations and ambitious musical projects over the years. She’s also the President of the English Folk Dance and Song Society and, if you follow her on Twitter, you’ll know that she’s on top of every issue affecting the folk music scene today. Plus, she’s a great debater and conversationalist – I knew this from a Soapbox article she wrote for us in #175 (March 2022), and after reading her f irst column
(p79), it’s confirmed. I’m delighted to welcome her as part of the Songlines team.
Eliza writes this issue about her experiences of Cambridge Folk Festival and how the festival has often been at the forefront of putting world and folk music side by side – their 25th edition in 1989 had the Watersons and Ralph McTell alongside Ali Farka Touré, can you imagine? It’s a union that is still uneasy among at least some of our readers, with one writing in recently to say: ‘ There are 195 countries in the world today so why is English/Irish folk music being given a disproportionate amount of coverage in your magazine?’ This was in response to our feature on forward-thinking folk artists like Lankum and Angeline Morrison. Now, Songlines has always included national folk artists in its world music remit, and I can see from our recent survey that we have many readers who buy the magazine purely for that coverage. But, is our coverage disproportionate? All I can say is that each issue we do our best to bring you the best current music from around the world, whether local or on the other side of the globe. If we can bring them together inside a welcoming folk club, for all kinds of folk, I think we’re on the right track.
Russ Slater Johnson, Editor
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE INCLUDE
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Songlines is published by MA Music Leisure & Travel Ltd St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Rd, London, SE24 0PB, UK +44 (0)20 7738 5454 info@songlines.co.uk www.songlines.co.uk
© MA Music Leisure & Travel Ltd, 2023. All rights reserved. No part of Songlines may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of the publishing director. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the editor or Songlines advertisements in the journal do not imply endorsement of the products or services advertised. Please read our privacy policy, by visiting privacypolicy.markallengroup.com. This will explain how we process, use and safeguard your data. ISSN 1464-8113. Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Dowlais, CF48 3TD Record trade distribution Songlines 020 7738 5454 Newstrade distribution Marketforce 020 3787 9101
Lucy Hallam Lucy is a Paris-based writer and musician, with a particular interest in participatory
music and music in advocacy. This
issue she speaks to our cover star,
Fatoumata Diawara, on p22
Juan José Relmucao An Argentine multilingual journalist, Juan José was shortlisted for the Thomson
Foundation Young Journalist Award in 2021. He chats to Buenos Aires institution
La Bomba de Tiempo on p34.
Fiona Mactaggart Fiona retired from child psychiatry to write
about music, co-founding the Scottish music agency Jazz Forward in 2021. A regular visitor of Edinburgh International Festival, she profiles the festival on p70.
Songlines was launched in 1999 and 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 magazine to truly represent and embrace it. However, Songlines is not just about music, but about how the music f its into the landscape; it’s about politics, history and identity. Delivered in both print and digital formats, Songlines, through its extensive articles and reviews, is your essential and independent guide to a world of music and culture, whether you are starting on your journey of discovery or are already a seasoned fan.
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JULY 2023 › SONGLINES 03
