CONTENTS

34 El Khat

M a r i n a

C h a r c h i y a n

N i c k h i t e

36 Maya Youssef

40 Frigg n t t i

K o k k o l a

UPFRONT 06 Top of the World CD 08 What’s New 14 Folk Focus 16 Introducing… Juanita

Euka & LYRE LYRE 18 Songlines Encounters

Festival 2022 19 Spotlight:

Yungchen Lhamo 20 Simon Says 21 Letters

FEATURES 22 Songlines Music

Awards 2022 This year’s nominees 26 Lido Pimienta

Talking tough with the Latin-pop visionary 30 Iberi

Raise a toast to this allmale Georgian choir 34 El Khat

Israel’s own garbage pail kids with a DIY aesthetic 36 Maya Youssef

At home with the lauded Syrian qanun player 40 Frigg

Meet the Nordgrass vets celebrating 20 years

REVIEWS 44 Africa 46 Americas 50 Europe 57 Asia 58 Middle East 60 Fusion 64 Classical & Jazz 66 World Cinema 68 Live Reviews

REGULARS 70 My World:

Mukoma Wa Ngugi 72 Beginner’s Guide to

Annbjørg Lien 74 Quickfire 75 Dispatch from

Porto, Portugal 77 My Instrument:

Antonis Antoniou and his tzouras 79 Gig Guide 86 Overseas Festivals 89 Soapbox 90 Essential 10:

Concept Albums

77 Antonis Antoniou and his tzouras

“While following a herd of lemmings over a cliff might feel safer at the time, the end ain’t pretty…” Nick Hobbs gets a cob on for onstage clichés, see p89

C h a r i s

P a n a y i o t o u

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M Y 2022 › SONGLINES 05