Heads up for the April 2023 issue (#186) of Songlines, hitting the shelves and packed full of world music wonders. Our cover hero for the month is late master Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré – we talk to Oumou Sangaré, his son Vieux and other friends and acolytes to find out what made him so special – while inside we also chat to ballad revivalists Hack-Poets Guild and Senegal’s finest, Baaba Maal, before catching up with enigmatic gwo ka legend Polobi and taking a deep dive into the aboriginal music of Taiwan. All this, plus a Beginner’s Guide to the recently departed Gal Costa, a Dispatch from Angola where the death of a kuduro legend sparked scenes not seen for half a century, as well as the usual wealth of expert reviews on albums from around the globe, competitions and news.

And if all that wasn’t enough, April’s incredible Top of the World album (available as a CD and download) reads the riot act on weary lugholes, featuring hot cuts from, among others, Moonlight Benjamin, Ali Farka Touré, Catriona Price and King Ayisoba, with five bonus tracks boasting music from Stick in the Wheel, Baaba Maal, Shovel Dance Collective and more.