This month’s issue
Here’s what’s in fRoots, Nos. 319/320, January/February 2010
- THE EDITOR’S BOX
- Ian Anderson’s comment column.
- fROOTS PLAYLIST
- Recent stuff we like.
- CHARTS & LISTS
- Specialist and general roots music album sales and airplay charts.
- REVIEWS
- Our key section reviewing all the latest CDs and more - loads bite the dust. No punches pulled!
- ROOTING ABOUT
- What’s happening: packed pages of festivals, gigs, tours, radio, CDs and all kinds of roots-related stuff. The most you’ll find anywhere…
- COMPETITIONS
- Win our 90 Playlist CDs of 2009. Win Martin Simpson DVDs
- ROOT SALAD
- A cross-section of featurettes: the UK's Julian Gaskell & His Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, John Jones, Queensberry Rules and Dogan Mehmet, Spain's Ojos De Brujo, France's Lo'Jo and Caravan Palace and the Carolina Chocolate Drops' Rhiannon Giddens in the Rocket Launcher.
- ALBUMS OF 2009
- The 24th Annual fRoots Critics Poll is the definitive look at the best albums of the year in world folk & roots musics.
- FOLK AWARDS 2010
- The nominees for BBC Radio 2’s annual ethno-salutes. Colin Irwin does the analysis.
- THE SPIRIT OF '67
- The recent re-issue of the one extraordinary album by Arab-American band The Devil’s Anvil got Elizabeth Kinder pondering about psychedelic ethno pop.
- MORRIS OFFPRINTS
- A selection of ’70s folk/rock photos from the Keith Morris archives.
- CHEMIROCHA DAYS
- Yodelling brakeman Jimmie Rodgers was imagined as a demi-god – half man and half antelope – by the girls of Kenya’s Kipsigi tribe. Devon Sproule & Paul Curreri went to Nairobi on his trail, writing us a diary on the way…
- BEGIN THE BENIN
- Orchestre Poly-Rythmo are the latest West African big band of yesteryear to benefit from the attentions of European fans. Jon Lusk meets them in London.
- GREAT DANES
- Karl Skaarup has been playing for dancing for 80 years; Fin Alfred has been collecting and singing old songs for more than 60. Chris Nickson catches up with them.
- IT'S FOLK NOISE!
- Norway’s annual showcase FolkeLarm was brimming over with innovative music. On the spot report and photos by Andrew Cronshaw.
- MOMPOSATION
- Colombian icon Sonia Bazanta Vides – better known to us all as Toto La Momposina – has just released her first album in a decade. Jon Lusk hears her story.
- BIFF!
- Our exclusive cartoon strip.
Plus dozens of pages of essential adverts.