CONTENTS

68 My World

B e n

B r o n

Ik i

n

Y u m

81 My Instrument

77 Dispatch

UPFRONT 06 Top of the World CD 08 What’s New 15 Folk Focus 16 Songlines Music Awards 2021 18 Introducing…

Barbora Xu & Auka 20 Simon Says 21 Letters

FEATURES 22 Best Albums of 2021

Discover who made our editors’ picks of the year 24 Small Island Big Song

A deep dive into the Indo-Pacific eco-activists 30 Spell Songs

The star-studded folk ensemble returns 34 Karolina Cicha

Giving an audience to Karaim music 36 Changüí

The irrepressible sound of Guantánamo

“I was astounded by how quickly songs would take shape in the air. I’ve never seen creativity happening as intensely and as quickly before”

Writer Robert Macfarlane talks about the process of creating the next Spell Songs, p30

s re” e 0

REVIEWS 44 Africa 46 Americas 50 Europe 54 Asia 56 Middle East 57 Pacific 58 Fusion 63 Classical & Jazz 64 World Cinema 66 Live Reviews

REGULARS 68 My World:

Jeremy Loops 71 Postcard from

Seoul, South Korea 72 Beginner’s Guide to

Karine Polwart 74 Festival Pass:

Ice Music Festival Norway 77 Dispatch from

Cartagena, Colombia 79 Quickfire 81 My Instrument:

Hwang Hyeyoung & her geomungo 83 Gig Guide 89 Soapbox 90 Essential 10:

South Korean instrumental albums

15

15 Small Island Big Song

.SONGLINES.CO.UK

J N

J NU RY/FEBRU RY 2022 › SONGLINES 05