Simon Broughton is Editor in Chief of Songlines, the leading world music magazine which has been published since 1999. Before that he was co-editor of the Rough Guide to World Music (Penguin). He is author of the chapters on Hungary, Romania and Poland, amongst others. He also works as a documentary film maker and broadcaster – usually about music. He’s been working in the field of world music for 30 years.

He first came to Hungary as an ardent fan of Béla Bartók’s music and wanted to see what was left of the traditional music scene in his homeland. As it happened, the grassroots táncház (dancehouse) movement in Hungary was in full-swing so there was plenty to discover. He has visited Hungary (and Transylvania) often since the early 80s. In September, he was giving workshops with singer Márta Sebestyén in the British town of Aldeburgh – the home of Benjamin Britten – about Hungarian folk music and Bartók’s use of folk music.