New Songlines award for world music
Songlines magazine has launched a new awards programme to recognise outstanding talent in world music and run in partnership with WOMAD festival. The news comes hard on the heels of BBC Radio 3's cancellation of their own Awards for World Music and Songlines publisher Paul Geoghegan says that the magazine is confident the Songlines Awards can "continue the impact of this important initiative". The Awards will be run in partnership with the WOMAD festival and will culminate in performances by a selection of the nominees at this summer’s UK WOMAD festival in Charlton Park (July 24-26) including Rokia Traoré, Dub Colossus and Los Desterrados. There are four categories: Best Artist, Best Group, Best Cross-Cultural Collaboration, and 2009 Newcomer and The eligible artists are those who have had albums reviewed in Songlines during 2008 and the nominees (with albums) are: Best ArtistToumani Diabate (The Mande Variations)Lila Downs (Shake Away)Mariza: (Terra)Rokia Traore (Tchamantche)Best GroupAmadou Mariam (Welcome To Mali)Bellowhead (Matachin)Los Desterrados (Miradores)Umalali (The Garifuna Women’s Project)Cross cultural collaborationBalkan Beat Box (Nu-Made Remixes Videos)Ska Cubano (Ajiaco! The Remix Album)Monkey (Damon Albarn Jamie Hewlett) (Journey to the West)Jah Wobble The Chinese Dub Orchestra (Chinese Dub)2008 NewcomerKiran Ahluwalia (Wanderlust)Buika (Nina de Fuego)Dub Colossus (In A Town Called Addis)Dengue Fever (Venus on Earth)http://songlines.co.uk/awards2009/index.php