UK based magazine, Songlines, has announced the shortlist of nominees for the Songlines Music Awards, as voted for by the WOMAD e-list and readers of Songlines Magazine. In December we published an article Music Awards Beyond the BBC which is still available and in April GondwanaSound will be broadcasting interviews and tracks from the nominees. Read on ...
It came as a surprise, that after seven years of gathering momentum the BBC decided to withdraw their involvement. To the rescue came Songlines Magazine, confident in their ability to run the awards and to offer a boost to the related retail event. Good news for the nominees and for voters who have already been sent an email offering a discounted subscription to the magazine.
To be eligible nominees must release a cd and the cd must have be reviewed by Songlines Magazine and the review published in issues spanning issues 50 - 57 inclusive. So........with no further ado..the nominees are...
Best Artist
- Toumani Diabate - The Mande Variations - World Circuit
- Lila Downs - Shake Away - EMI
- Mariza - Terra - EMI
- Rokia Traore - Tchamantche - Nonesuch
Best Group
- Amadou & Mariam - Welcome To Mali - Because
- Bellowhead - Matachin - Navigator Records
- Los Desterrados- Miradores - Crusoe Records
- The Garifuna Women’s Project - Umalali - Cumbancha
Cross Cultural Collaboration
- Balkan Beat Box - Nu-Made Remixes & Videos - Crammed Discs
- Ska Cubano - Ajiaco! The Remix Album - Casino Sounds
- Monkey (Damon Albarn & Jamie Hewlett)- Journey to the West - XL
- Jah Wobble & The Chinese Dub Orchestra - Chinese Dub - 30 Hertz
Newcomer
- Kiran Ahluwalia - Wanderlust - World Connection
- Buika - Nina de Fuego - Warner Jazz
- Dub Colossus - In A Town Called Addis - Real World
- Dengue Fever - Venus on Earth - Real World
The Songlines editorial team will now ponder over the list of nominees to decide the winners who will be announced in the June issue of the magazine which are reminded will be on sale on May 1st. Selected nominees will appear at a special event as part of this year's WOMAD festival.
GondwanaSound will be broadcasting interviews and music from the nominees in the broadcasts during April.
