FRoots

{{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 (folk, world) | frequency = Monthly | editor = Ian A. Anderson (1979–2019) | founded = 1979 | finaldate = {{end date|2019}} | country = England, United Kingdom | based = Farnham | website = {{official URL}} | issn = 0951-1326 }} '''''fRoots''''' (pronounced "eff-Roots", originally '''''Folk Roots''''') was a specialist music magazine published in the UK between 1979 and 2019. It specialised in folk and 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 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 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, Surrey and later moved to 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 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 |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 |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'' by Paul Simon * 1987 ''Soro'' by Salif Keita * 1988 ''Amnesia'' by Richard Thompson * 1989 ''Djam Leelii'' by Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck * 1990 ''The Complete Recordings'' by Robert Johnson * 1991 ''Barking Mad'' by Four Men and a Dog * 1992 ''Lam Toro'' by Baaba Maal * 1993 ''A Meeting by the River'' by Ry Cooder and V.M. Bhatt * 1994 ''Waterson:Carthy'' by Waterson–Carthy * 1995 ''Kate Rusby and Kathryn Roberts'' by Kate Rusby and Kathryn Roberts * 1996 ''Norma Waterson'' by Norma Waterson * 1997 ''Buena Vista Social Club'' by Buena Vista Social Club * 1998 ''Red Rice'' by Eliza Carthy * 1999 ''Kulanjan'' by Taj Mahal and Toumani Diabaté * 2000 ''Wanita'' by Rokia Traoré * 2001 ''Missing You / Mee Yeewnii'' by Baaba Maal * 2002 ''Specialist in All Styles'' by Orchestra Baobab * 2003 ''Bowmboi'' by Rokia Traoré * 2004 ''Egypt'' by Youssou N'Dour * 2005 ''Dimanche à Bamako'' by Amadou & Mariam * 2006 ''Savane'' by Ali Farka Touré * 2007 ''Segu Blue'' by Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba * 2008 ''Low Culture'' by Jim Moray * 2009 ''Très Très Fort'' by Staff Benda Bilili * 2010 ''Hedonism'' by Bellowhead * 2011 ''Ragged Kingdom'' by June Tabor & Oysterband * 2012 ''Ground of Its Own'' by Sam Lee * 2013 ''Clychau Dybon'' by Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita * 2014 ''The Moral of the Elephant'' by Martin Carthy & Eliza Carthy * 2015 ''From Here'' by Stick in the Wheel * 2016 ''Lodestar'' by Shirley Collins * 2017 ''Ladilikan'' by Trio Da Kali & 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.<ref name=critics_poll/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Sources== * {{Cite magazine |title=Ian A. Anderson |department=interview |date=August 1995 |magazine=Dirty Linen |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 (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''.

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