For our cover feature, we sit down with Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara to hear how she has maintained strength and positivity throughout her 15 years in music, celebrating her Malian homeland while never shying from speaking out against injustice. We speak to Jonny Greenwood and Shye Ben Tzur as they reunite with the Rajasthan Express for Ranjha, the long-awaited follow-up to Junun. We dive into Alté, the Nigerian music scene whose refusal to belong has reshaped Lagos’ music scene. Scottish smallpiper Brìghde Chaimbeul tells us how she is bringing the rich, snarling drones of her instrument to ever wider audiences. Elsewhere, our Beginner’s Guide is devoted to Catalan producer Raül Refree, and we tell the moving story of Bizimungu Dieudonne and Agnes Uwimbabazi, whose lost Rwandan album Inzovu Y’Imirindi has finally been reissued more than three decades after its makers were murdered in the 1994 genocide. We also hear from Kenyan-German trio ODD OKODDO about their reinvention of Luo dodo tradition and catch up with South African bassist Bakithi Kumalo, 40 years on from Graceland. Our Summer Festival Guide 2026 picks the best of the season ahead, we raise a glass with out Essential 10 Drinking Songs, British filmmaker Ben Wheatley opens up his musical world and Paul Slade explores the murder ballad ‘Duncan and Brady’ for Songbook. We also visit English Folk Legends for Field of Research, meet Maryam Saleh, Rostam, Ibrahim Maalouf, Stevens & Pound, Mexican Institute of Sound & Meridian Brothers and Shabnam Parvaresh, and report on Tremor and Manchester Folk Festival, as well as all the usual news, listings, reviews, competitions and so much more.

The issue comes with our accompanying CD compilation album featuring ten tracks from the best new music releases and five bonus selections to accompany the issue.

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