# FRoots

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{{Short description|Former UK music magazine}}
{{Redirect|Folk Roots|the album by Kutumba|Folk Roots (album)}}
{{Distinguish|Froot (disambiguation)}}
{{Lowercase title|italic=yes}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox magazine
 | title              = fRoots
 | italic title       = no
 | image_file         = froots-mag.jpg
 | image_size         = 
 | image_caption      = ''fRoots'' issue 289, cover-dated July 2007
 | publisher          = Southern Rag Ltd
 | circulation        = 12,000 worldwide (2006)<REF NAME="fRootCirc" />
 | paid_circulation   = 
 | unpaid_circulation = 
 | total_circulation  = 
 | circulation_year   = 
 | language           = English
 | category           = [Music](/source/Music) (folk, world)
 | frequency          = Monthly
 | editor             = [Ian A. Anderson](/source/Ian_A._Anderson) (1979–2019)
 | founded            = 1979
 | finaldate          = {{end date|2019}}
 | country            = England, United Kingdom
 | based              = Farnham
 | website            = {{official URL}}
 | issn               = 0951-1326<!--http://rsrch.rilm.org/journalscore.asp?alpha=F-->
}}
'''''fRoots''''' (pronounced "eff-Roots", originally '''''Folk Roots''''') was a specialist music [magazine](/source/magazine) published in the UK between 1979 and 2019. It specialised in [folk](/source/Folk_music) and [world music](/source/world_music), and featured regular compilation downloadable albums, with occasional specials. In 2006, the circulation of the magazine was 12,000 worldwide.<REF NAME="fRootCirc">
{{Cite web|url=https://frootsmag.com/about-froots|title=About fRoots|access-date=2020-08-27|website=fRoots}} (the year is matched from the [http://www.frootsmag.com/content/ads/ "fRoots Advertising Information"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312091137/http://www.frootsmag.com/content/ads/ |date=12 March 2015 }} that provides the same "readership of 40,000" data for their "2006 readership survey" as the main "around 12,000 worldwide (giving a readership of around 40,000)" claim).
</ref>

The magazine was also involved in live music production, as well as the [BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music](/source/BBC_Radio_3_Awards_for_World_Music) and the Europe in Union concert series.

==Overview==
In 1979, ''Southern Rag'' was founded<ref name=edk>{{cite book|author=Edward Komara|title=Encyclopedia of the Blues|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-w-uGwm_LhcC&pg=PA757|access-date=7 July 2016|year=2006|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-415-92699-7|page=756}}</ref> by folk musician [Ian A. Anderson](/source/Ian_A._Anderson) with Caroline Hurrell and Lawrence Heath. 
It was renamed as ''Folk Roots'' in 1985,<ref name=edk/> and in 1998 it became ''fRoots''. 
The headquarters was initially in [Farnham](/source/Farnham), [Surrey](/source/Surrey) and later moved to [Bristol](/source/Bristol).<ref name="edk"/> 
Anderson remained the editor for the magazine's entire forty-year lifespan.

Since 1985, the magazine was published on a monthly basis,<ref name="edk"/> with compilation albums twice-yearly. 
After a 2017 [Kickstarter](/source/Kickstarter) campaign,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rogers |first1=Jude |author-link1=Jude Rogers |title='A big tree has fallen': the sad demise of fRoots, bible of British folk |date=8 July 2019 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jul/08/froots-british-folk-magazine-underground-music |website=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |access-date=27 August 2020}}</ref> it was re-launched in April 2018 as a larger quarterly magazine, including a compilation album with every issue.<ref>{{cite web |title=fRoots Digital Editions |url=https://frootsmag.com/froots-digital-editions |website=fRoots |access-date=27 August 2020}}</ref>

On 2 July 2019, the editor announced that the magazine was suspending publication due to lack of funding, and that the Summer 2019 issue (issue 425) would be its last.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=Ian |author-link1=Ian A. Anderson |title=fRoots Magazine Statement, 2nd July 2019 |url=https://frootsmag.com/froots-magazine-statement-2nd-july-2019 |website=fRoots |access-date=2 July 2019 |date=2 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=Robin |last=Murray |title=fROOTS Magazine To Fold |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/news/froots-magazine-to-fold |magazine=[Clash](/source/Clash_(magazine)) |date=2 July 2019 |access-date=11 July 2019}}</ref>

==Albums of the year==
The ''fRoots'' Critics Poll Album of the Year was determined by a panel of "hundreds of experts" in the UK and internationally:<ref name=critics_poll>{{cite magazine|title=The fRoots Critics Poll Albums of the Year |url=https://frootsmag.com/pollwinners |magazine=fRoots  |date = 2018|access-date=25 March 2021}}</ref>

* 1986 ''[Graceland](/source/Graceland_(album))'' by [Paul Simon](/source/Paul_Simon)
* 1987 ''[Soro](/source/Soro_(album))'' by [Salif Keita](/source/Salif_Keita)
* 1988 ''[Amnesia](/source/Amnesia_(Richard_Thompson_album))'' by [Richard Thompson](/source/Richard_Thompson_(musician))
* 1989 ''[Djam Leelii](/source/Djam_Leelii)'' by [Baaba Maal](/source/Baaba_Maal) and [Mansour Seck](/source/Mansour_Seck)
* 1990 ''[The Complete Recordings](/source/The_Complete_Recordings_(Robert_Johnson_album))'' by [Robert Johnson](/source/Robert_Johnson)
* 1991 ''Barking Mad'' by [Four Men and a Dog](/source/Four_Men_and_a_Dog)
* 1992 ''Lam Toro'' by Baaba Maal
* 1993 ''[A Meeting by the River](/source/A_Meeting_by_the_River)'' by [Ry Cooder](/source/Ry_Cooder) and [V.M. Bhatt](/source/Vishwa_Mohan_Bhatt)
* 1994 ''Waterson:Carthy'' by [Waterson–Carthy](/source/Waterson%E2%80%93Carthy)
* 1995 ''Kate Rusby and Kathryn Roberts'' by [Kate Rusby](/source/Kate_Rusby) and [Kathryn Roberts](/source/Kathryn_Roberts)
* 1996 ''[Norma Waterson](/source/Norma_Waterson_(album))'' by [Norma Waterson](/source/Norma_Waterson)
* 1997 ''[Buena Vista Social Club](/source/Buena_Vista_Social_Club_(album))'' by [Buena Vista Social Club](/source/Buena_Vista_Social_Club)
* 1998 ''Red Rice'' by [Eliza Carthy](/source/Eliza_Carthy)
* 1999 ''[Kulanjan](/source/Kulanjan)'' by [Taj Mahal](/source/Taj_Mahal_(musician)) and [Toumani Diabaté](/source/Toumani_Diabat%C3%A9)
* 2000 ''Wanita'' by [Rokia Traoré](/source/Rokia_Traor%C3%A9)
* 2001 ''Missing You  / Mee Yeewnii'' by Baaba Maal
* 2002 ''Specialist in All Styles'' by [Orchestra Baobab](/source/Orchestra_Baobab)
* 2003 ''Bowmboi'' by Rokia Traoré
* 2004 ''[Egypt](/source/Egypt_(album))'' by [Youssou N'Dour](/source/Youssou_N'Dour)
* 2005 ''[Dimanche à Bamako](/source/Dimanche_%C3%A0_Bamako)'' by [Amadou & Mariam](/source/Amadou_%26_Mariam)
* 2006 ''[Savane](/source/Savane_(album))'' by  [Ali Farka Touré](/source/Ali_Farka_Tour%C3%A9)
* 2007 ''Segu Blue'' by [Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba](/source/Bassekou_Kouyate) 
* 2008 ''Low Culture'' by [Jim Moray](/source/Jim_Moray)
* 2009 ''Très Très Fort'' by [Staff Benda Bilili](/source/Staff_Benda_Bilili)
* 2010 ''[Hedonism](/source/Hedonism_(album))'' by [Bellowhead](/source/Bellowhead)
* 2011 ''[Ragged Kingdom](/source/Ragged_Kingdom)'' by [June Tabor](/source/June_Tabor) & [Oysterband](/source/Oysterband)
* 2012 ''Ground of Its Own'' by [Sam Lee](/source/Sam_Lee_(folk_musician))
* 2013 ''Clychau Dybon'' by [Catrin Finch](/source/Catrin_Finch) & [Seckou Keita](/source/Seckou_Keita)
* 2014 ''The Moral of the Elephant'' by [Martin Carthy](/source/Martin_Carthy) & [Eliza Carthy](/source/Eliza_Carthy)
* 2015 ''[From Here](/source/Stick_in_the_Wheel)'' by [Stick in the Wheel](/source/Stick_in_the_Wheel)
* 2016 ''[Lodestar](/source/Lodestar_(Shirley_Collins_album))'' by [Shirley Collins](/source/Shirley_Collins)
* 2017 ''Ladilikan'' by [Trio Da Kali](/source/Trio_Da_Kali) & [Kronos Quartet](/source/Kronos_Quartet)
* 2018 ''SOAR'' by Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita

Between 2002 and 2008 the award was incorporated into the [BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music](/source/BBC_Radio_3_Awards_for_World_Music).<ref name=critics_poll/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{Cite magazine |title=Ian A. Anderson |department=interview |date=August 1995 |magazine=[Dirty Linen](/source/Dirty_Linen_(magazine)) |url=http://www.dirtylinen.com/linen/feature/59ian.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=2006-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061020152736/http://www.dirtylinen.com/linen/feature/59ian.html |issue=59 |access-date=2021-03-25}}

==External links==
* [http://www.frootsmag.com/ Official website]
* [Rogers, Jude](/source/Jude_Rogers) (8 July 2019). [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jul/08/froots-british-folk-magazine-underground-music "'A big tree has fallen': the sad demise of fRoots, bible of British folk"], ''[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)''.

{{Music of the United Kingdom}}
{{Authority control}}

Category:1979 establishments in England
Category:2019 disestablishments in England
Category:British music awards
Category:Folk music magazines
Category:Magazines established in 1979
Category:Mass media in Surrey
Category:Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom
Category:Music magazines published in the United Kingdom
Category:World music awards

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [FRoots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FRoots) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FRoots?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.