The Top of the World CD includes tracks from Senegalese star Baaba Maal; Africa’s legendary big band Orchestra Baobab; Angola’s greatest son, Bonga; the experimental collaborators David Byrne & Brian Eno; DJ Gilles Peterson presents Havana Cultura; Qawwali singer Faiz Ali Faiz teams up with French guitarist Titi Robin and the South African rising star Thandiswa Mazwai.

The main editorial features include:

• Osibisa – Bandleader Teddy Osei leads us down memory lane and introduces the Afro-pop pioneers’ ‘fourth generation

• Best of 2009 – Simon Broughton presents his selection of the ten finest world music releases this year.

• Songlines Music Awards 2010 – voting is now open plus your chance to win a B&W Zeppelin Mini

• Rough Guide to World Music – We talk to the team behind the resource, as its final print edition is released.

• Salsa in Colombia – Social reform and sequins: why salsa in the

city of Cali is big business.

• Songlines Guide to Sephardic Music – Untangling the complex lines of history and

culture which inform this unique tradition.

• Sounding Out Belém, Brazil – all the best places to see and hear music in the Brazilian city.

• Beginner’s Guide to Totó La Momposina.

• Postcard from Hanoi, Vietnam.

• Jerez Flamenco Festival.

• Backpage from Copenhagen, Denmark.

• My World – Channel 4 newscaster Jon Snow.

• Grooves – Dogan Mehmet, Omar Puente and Thomas Lauderdale share their favourites.

• News, including Dispatches USA.

• Reviews of the latest CD, DVD and World Cinema releases.

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The Top of the World CD includes tracks from Congolese rumba legend Franco & le TPOK Jazz; all-female Geordie folk group The Unthanks; Balkan Gypsy singer Ljiljana Buttler; French Gypsy-influenced guitarist Thierry ‘Titi’ Robin; and the Latin fusion of Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro. There’s also a selection of five tracks selected by ABBA’s Benny Andersson.

The main editorial features include:

• Youssou N’Dour – In time for the African star’s new mentoring venture, we take stock of his triumphs so far.

• The Unthanks – As the group carve out their new aesthetic, they remind us why folk ought to be fresh.

• Remembering Franco – Tributes courtesy of a diverse cast of critics, contemporaries and former collaborators.

• Deolinda – The Portuguese quartet championing an imaginative new style of fado.

• Rupa & the April Fishes – In conversation with Rupa, the dynamic bandleader who doubles up as a doctor.

• Asian Music & Dance – Going deep with Svapnagata’s curators and instrumentalist Trilok Gurtu.

• Sounding Out Copenhagen – all the best places to see and hear music in the Danish capital.

• Beginner’s Guide to Balkan bandleader Goran Bregovic.

• Postcard from Thiruvaiyaru, India.

• Festival of the Niger, Mali.

• Backpage from Havana, Cuba.

• My World – ABBA’s Benny Andersson.

• Grooves – Nguyên Lê, Will Holland and Ben Mandelson share their favourites.

• News, including the launch of the new Songlines Digital.

• Reviews of the latest CD, DVD and World Cinema releases.

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The Top of the World CD includes tracks from Mali’s Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni ba; English guitar virtuoso Martin Simpson; Iran’s Dastan Ensemble with Homayoun Shajarian; Indian slide guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya; and US zydeco from Cedric Watson. There’s also a selection of five tracks selected by author Philip Pullman.

The main editorial features include:

• Hugh Masekela – A portrait of South Africa’s charismatic trumpeter and musical statesman at 70.

• Titi Robin – The French multi-instrumentalist discusses mythical deities, musical collaborations and an exotic mix of influences.

• Debashish Bhattacharya – Catching up with the composer and performer who crafts his own slide guitars.

• Bamboo – We collect all manner of instruments made out of bamboo: from Laos to Madagascar.

• Essential Guide to Zydeco – A potted history of Louisiana’s popular, accordion-led party music.

• Sounding Out Wellington – all the best places to see and hear music in the New Zealand capital.

• Beginner’s Guide to the Indian playback legend, Lata Mangeshkar.

• Postcard from Bali.

• Selam African Music Festival.

• Backpage from Guinea Bissau.

• My World – the author of Philip Pullman.

• Grooves – Tony Engle, Andy Gangadeen and Lisa Knapp share their favourites.

• News, including a report on Folk Against Fascism.

• Reviews of the latest CD, DVD and World Cinema releases.

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The Top of the World CD includes tracks from the king of rai, Khaled; Touareg blues-rockers Tinariwen; award-winning English folk artist Chris Wood; Cape Verdean singer Sara Tavares; and Indian santoor maestro Rahul Sharma. There’s also a selection of five tracks selected by the one and only Andy Kershaw.

The main editorial features include:

• Australian Aboriginal Music Special – Introducing the music and culture of

indigenous Australia long overlooked at home and abroad.

• Gurrumul – Our cover star who is bringing the music from his northern Australian home to the world.

• The Black Arm Band – A ‘who’s who’ of Australian indigenous

music talent, on a second visit to the UK.

• Silk Road Traveller – Journeying along Syria’s ancient trade routes,

taking in the country’s music.

• Topic Records at 70 – We look at the label’s influence and

achievements as it celebrates its 70th year.

• Tools of the Trade: The Pipa – Wu Man and the Chinese lute.

• Sounding Out Vienna – all the best places to see and hear music in the Austrian capital.

• Beginner’s Guide to the drummer behind Afro-beat, Tony Allen.

• Postcard from Tallinn, Estonia.

• Ulsan World Music Festival, South Korea.

• Backpage from Ghana.

• My World – the return of Andy Kershaw.

• News, including a look at Iranian protest music.

• Reviews of the latest CD, DVD and World Cinema releases.

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The June 2009 issue of Songlines is on sale in the UK from May 1. The free CD that comes with the issue includes ten tracks from the finest new releases from around the planet. Tracks include new hip-hop, tango and salsa from Barcelona collective Ojos de Brujo; the return of Pygmy-Celtic fusionists Baka Beyond; the exuberant girl power of Finnish folksters Värttinä; exploratory US duo A Hawk & A Hacksaw; and Justin Adams with Gambian ritti player Juldeh Camara on their second collaborative album. There’s also a selection of five tracks selected by BBC Radio 1 DJ and festival programmer Rob Da Bank.

The main editorial features include:

• The Songlines Music Awards – we announce the four winners of our inaugural awards.

• Cuba – after 50 years of revolution Jan Fairley looks at the music that has shaped the island since 1959.

• Radiokijada – Donkey jaws and electronic beats, the latest Afro-Peruvian sounds.

• Building A Band – How do you market and make a success of bands like Tinariwen and El Tanbura?

• Hanggai – The Chinese-Mongolian band giving the music of the grasslands a modern twist.

• UK Festivals 2009 – Summer’s on its way and there are a wealth of festivals to choose from.

• Sounding Out Glasgow – all the best places to see and hear music in Scotland’s largest city.

• Beginner’s Guide to Greek chanteuse Eleftheria Arvanitaki.

• Postcard from Karnataka, India.

• Art of Music – Austrian zither.

• Backpage from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

• My World – BBC Radio 1 DJ and festival programmer Rob Da Bank.

• News, including the world music highlights of this year’s Proms in London.

• Reviews of the latest CD, DVD and World Cinema releases.

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The free CD that comes with the April/May 2009 issue includes the funkiest, most up-to-date sounds from around the planet. Tracks include new music from Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival diva Calypso Rose; classic Congolese soukous and rumba from Ry-Co Jazz; alcohol-fuelled Balkan brass from Goran Bregovic; and the hottest band in world music – and the cover stars – Staff Benda Bilili. As well as these ten tracks, there’s a selection of five Artic-themed tunes from David Buckland, director of cultural climate awareness project Cape Farewell.

The main editorial features include:

• Staff Benda Bilili – the disabled Kinshasa street musicians whose story is incredible. But it’s their music that speaks loudest.

• The Songlines Music Awards – all the nominations for our very own inaugural awards ceremony.

• Slow Music – you’ve heard of the Slow Food movement; now taste the music.

• Calypso Rose – T&T’s calypso superstar talks to Songlines on the eve of her first international release.

• Instruments and Wood – how demand for instruments is putting pressure on international wood stocks, and what’s being done about it.

• Summer Schools – insider accounts of two of the best places to unwind and learn a musical instrument this summer: WOMAD Summer School in England and Labyrinth in Crete.

• Archive Recordings – the vital role sound archives have to play in shaping our communities.

• Sounding Out Cairo – all the best places to see and hear music in the Egyptian capital.

• Festival Profile – Mawazine Festival, Rabat, Morocco.

• Postcard from Addis Ababa.

• Backpage from Jaipur, India.

• Afghan Star – how one reality TV show is changing the face of Afghan music.

• My World – Cape Farewell’s cultured environmentalist, David Buckland.

• News, including music maestro AR Rahman winning two Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire, plus the Czech Republic’s Eurovision rap entry.

• Pages from the latest CD, DVD and World Cinema reviews.

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