The November 2024 issue (#202) of Songlines is out now. With an incredible new album paying tribute to the trumpet that his dad invented, French-Lebanese musician Ibrahim Maalouf is our cover star. Seun Kuti tells us about his all-star new album and how making music outside of the mainstream is no picnic; we speak to Stick in the Wheel about finding relevance in archaic tales and found sounds; we talk to Afro Celt Sound System, who are releasing their first album since the death of founder Simon Emmerson; we introduce Les Aunties, an incredible new group of female musicians from Chad who wowed all on a recent tour of Canada; we travel to Lithuania to witness a festival exploring the country’s pagan past; to celebrate Fania Records’ 60th anniversary, we have asked some of their famous fans to choose their favourite salsa albums; and we profile six future-facing organisations from around the world who are building communities and platforming marginalised voices. Plus, Tinariwen at the BBC Proms, Emma Dabiri’s My World, a Beginner’s Guide to Driss el Maloumi, Lo’Jo, Rikki Stein, Los Bitchos, WoWaKin, Essential 10 Ngoni albums, a Dispatch from Denmark and the incredible story of Billy Waters, as well as all the usual news, listings, reviews, competitions and so much more.
Print and digital subscribers will also receive our accompanying Top of the World compilation featuring our pick of the month’s best new music – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Etran de l’Aïr, Yasmin Williams, Macdara Yeates, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Chao Tian and more – as well as five bonus tracks from The Lijadu Sisters, Driss el Maloumi Trio & Watar Quintet, Frankie Archer and more.