Sophia Deboick
06 January 2022
Where the carols are still being rolled out
SOPHIA DEBOICK on the traditional songs of celebration continuing to be sung across Europe
Read the full article16 December 2021
Meet the Angèle on top of the charts this Christmas
Intelligent, genuine and in control, Brussels has sprouted the future of European pop as we approach 2022.
Read the full article09 December 2021
Malta has given the world 8000 years of Island records
Still, after 8000 years, Maltese music is centred around cultural eclecticism and originality.
Read the full article02 December 2021
Centuries later, Danish music is bringing Swedish witchcraft to life
Volbeat's Lasses Birgitta tells the story of a woman, who became one of many, executed for witchcraft in the Swedish island of Öland, over 450 years ago.
Read the full article25 November 2021
It’s, sadly, time for European music tours to have their swansong
Ultravox sung about Vienna, Freddie Mercury duetted with Montserrat Caballe on Barcelona and The Stranglers told us all roads lead to Rome but Suede's Europe is Our Playground couldn't be more wrong today
Read the full article18 November 2021
How Ancient Rome hit the charts
Composer and academic Mary Ann Tedstone Glover has brought the music of the Roman empire back to life.
Read the full article11 November 2021
The rappers of Russia and their politics
Russian rap no longer acts purely as social commentary, but reflects a money-obsessed society in turmoil.
Read the full article04 November 2021
For Matthieu Chedid, music runs in the family
Chedid, known by his rocker alter ego -M- is part of a French musical dynasty that shows no signs of stopping.
Read the full article28 October 2021
Sweden’s giving it up for Ghost
The nation's musical genius and talent's extends beyond ABBA, as one rock band proves.
Read the full article21 October 2021
There’s no omertà for Mafia music
Music reflects society. For Italy, this has meant the birth of a genre that's rife with scandal.
Read the full article11 October 2021
The movement and the music: #MeToo and its songs of revolution
Four years on from the hashtag that started a revolution, SOPHIA DEBOICK on the female performers who chronicled their experiences of harassment and hope for change in song
Read the full article07 October 2021
The band that broadcasts Berlin’s essence
Public Service Broadcasting captures Berlin's musical history with a magical new album - Bright Magic
Read the full article30 September 2021
How Estonia sang its way to freedom
Three decades ago, dulcet tones from Estonia signalled the country's newfound freedom, writes SOPHIA DEBOICK
Read the full article23 September 2021
Portugal’s revolutionary music came in the form of folk songs
When the music arrived, it addressed a world, not only a country, in turmoil, writes SOPHIA DEBOICK.
Read the full article16 September 2021
Germany returns to the forefront of European youth culture
A 22-year-old from Frankfurt has become one of TikTok’s biggest stars. SOPHIA DEBOICK explains the simple charm behind his success.. and what it says about his country.
Read the full article16 September 2021
The year the Isle of Wight Festival became notorious
The Isle of Wight Festival is the foundation of British festival music. But in 1970, infamous events took place on 'Devastation Hill'
Read the full article09 September 2021
Mikis Theodorakis: Zorba the Greek’s rebel composer
The composer prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the "universal Greek" died last week. Few have had the relationship with revolution that Theodorakis did, writes SOPHIA DEBOICK
Read the full article02 September 2021
An alternative anthem gives Russians the golden touch
This summer, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 was reimagined on the Olympic field for Russian athletes, writes Sophia Deboick
Read the full article26 August 2021
Tractors and Detractors: how Europe’s last dictator became parodied by a ska punk band
President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus joins the ranks of dictators who have been musically mocked, writes SOPHIA DEBOICK
Read the full article19 August 2021
Mathieu Boogaerts: The man teaching the English chanson
Mathieu Boogaerts has set himself an ambitious task: teaching the English about French chanson
Read the full article10 August 2021
Esther Béjarano: The accordionist of Auschwitz
Esther Loewy lied when she told an orchestra conductor she could play the accordion, and it was a lie that saved her life, writes SOPHIA DEBOICK
Read the full article27 July 2021
How Maneskin’s glamorous escapism revived Italian rock
Can the Eurovision winners continue their artistic progression as they climb the UK charts?
Read the full article26 July 2021
Has Covid killed off the cheesy Euro summer holiday hit?
Covid travel restrictions have dealt a serious blow to the import of holiday tunes from the continent
Read the full article19 July 2021
How Poland’s Bjork escaped Pop Idol
How can pop respond to politics? With this year’s album BRUT, Polish alt-pop star Brodka has provided an object lesson, writes SOPHIA DEBOICK
Read the full article14 July 2021
Cycle tracks: the music of the Tour de France
Long before Kraftwerk plugged in their synthesizers, the epic bike race has been an inspiration for musicians, writes SOPHIA DEBOICK
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06 June 2021
The political power of singing in Ukraine
The country's historical and recent anguish provides a strong undercurrent to its music.
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