Celebrating the release of his new album, Sem Nostalgia, Lucas Santtana performed at the intimate Brazilian bar Favela Chic on Tuesday after a hit performance supporting fado singer Ana Moura at the Barbican on Halloween.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of a live performance by an artist whose studio album relies so much on its electronic elements, but I was thrilled to discover that I was wrong to doubt. Spending as much time on a MIDI pad controller as on the guitar, he gave a spectacular performance that sounded exactly like his album but had the intimacy of the small venue and live audience. It was an outstanding performance to accompany his outstanding album.

Lucas Santtana is a Top of the World in our current issue and his track ‘Super Violão Mashup’ is available on our covermount CD.

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First from Indonesia, Syubbanul Akhyar, a group and a style of music heard in the UK for the first time. They entered very elegantly in rose-coloured smocks and bowed – to a great round of applause. ‘Salaam Aleikhum,’ they said politely and a woman to my right immediately responded ‘Wa Aleikhum Salaam’ and took a photo on her phone at the same time. The music comes from the Yemeni inhabitants of Indonesia, descended from the Arab traders who first brought Islam. The small hand drums and large barrel drums are Yemeni instruments, but added are the violin and flute – particularly the latter sounding so Indonesian and like the Sundanese popular music from the west of the island. Their closing number, a catchy tune about the Prophet Mohammed, went down particularly well.

The Fakirs of Gorbhanga are Baul musicians from Bengal, north-east India. While the Indonesians looked like clean-living respectable young men, the Bauls had the hoary wisdom of old village minstrels. The singers would sing and play their lutes and spin front of stage as the rest of the band gave a supporting bed of percussion behind. While the Indonesians were exquisitely perfumed, there was spiritual guts in this music.

Next the amazing Sain Zahoor, who was welcomed like a star. We featured Zahoor’s amazing story in Songlines #36 and he’s a charismatic presence singing into his plucked ektara festooned with coloured tassels. He’s a one-man band on his own, but has a small group of flute, harmonium and percussion behind him. The dialogue of Zahoors sandpapery voice and silky flute is particularly memorable. He thanked all the great saints like Nizamuddin, Shah Abdul Latif and Bulleh Shah who brought Islam to South Asia and then sang a song of devotion to them. Quite wonderful, but rather cut short to rush on the final group.

While Sain Zahoor simply exudes a sense of mystery and spiritual power, with Marouane Hajji and his group from Morocco, it was a bit like the Muslim equivalent of Jehovah’s Witnesses coming knocking at your door. They should have been programmed the other way round. The music was beautiful – Arab Andalous in character, with violin, oud and flute – but it brought you back down rather than taking you somewhere else as Sain Zahoor did. He’s on tour in the UK for the next few days.

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Songlines The podcasts tie-in with each issue and allow you to listen to contributors and hear featured artists

Propermusic.com A new podcast that features a group of panellists including top music journalists, producers, editors, and promoters who will discuss topical subjects

Barbican This podcast features interviews and music from the hottest Barbican concerts and often highlights world music artists

Afropop Worldwide A podcast that reports on music from Africa to the Americas

Mark Coles’ ‘The Shed: A Whole New World of Music’ While not a podcast per se, this weekly streaming programme offers some of the latest world music tracks

No Reason This monthly podcast offers a diverse playlist hosted by Gary and Norman

SOAS Archive Show This show rediscovers recordings from deep within the School of Oriental and African Studies’ archive

Did we miss a podcast you enjoy? Let us know in the comments.

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JuJu was a Top of the World in issue #78 (August/September 2011) and Bombino was a Top of the World in issue #77 (July 2011).

For more details on the Transcender Festival, please visit the Barbican website.

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Mostly importantly, the Songlines Encounters Festival will be taking place at Kings Place this weekend. It features a stellar line-up, including the Finnish harmonica quartet Sväng, fado star Carminho, Hungarian tambura ensemble Söndörgő and more.  www.songlines.co.uk/encounters

The Barbican’s Blaze Festival also begins this weekend and runs until the end of July. Blaze kicks off with Ludovico Einaudi and La Notte della Taranta Orchestra followed by some hip-shaking Shangaan Electro. www.barbican.org.uk/blaze/whats-on

Like Bollywood? Then head on over to the Peacock Theatre at Sadler’s Wells to see the acclaimed theatrical dance The Merchants of Bollywood, choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant. www.sadlerswells.com/show/Merchants-of-Bollywood-2011

If you are more in the mood for Mexican, grab your margaritas and head to Lucha Future at Roundhouse. Complete with Mexican men in action, food from the country and funky music from Mexico’s Nortec Collective, this will prove to be a fun night out. www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/productions/lucha-future

Don’t live in London? Check our new online Gig Guide. There’s gigs aplenty this weekend that will make your Glasto friends jealous.

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Stepping in on the Barbican date is a double bill bringing together the rising Cape Verdean star Mayra Andrade and the Tobagonian calypso legend Calypso Rose.

We wish Gurrumul a speedy recovery.

www.gurrumul.com

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