The March 2023 issue (#185) of Songlines is now on sale. Our cover star is Lucas Santtana, a Brazilian singer-songwriter who has quietly been releasing a series of acclaimed albums over the past 25 years, with his most recent offering an optimistic stance on the climate crisis. We also speak to Guts, a French producer who has assembled a supergroup of Senegalese, Cuban and French artists; Bissau-Guinean musician Kimi Djabaté who reveals he’s finally free to make music untethered by griot tradition; and the Discos Pacífico record label and NGO who are pushing music from one of Colombia’s poorest regions into the limelight. We also have an interview with recent Booker Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka, who reveals that music was his first love before picking out a surprising selection of Sri Lankan music. Other features include an in-depth guide to sevdah and its recent revival; a Beginner’s Guide to Majid Bekkas, a musician known for his pioneering mix of Gnawa blues and jazz; a spotlight on the stigma-busting Jerusalem Orchestra East & West; a dispatch from Sam Lee at COP27; plus, all the latest news, album and concert reviews, and regular features. 

This month’s Top of the World album (available as a CD and download) includes Lisa O’Neill, Mostar Sevdah Reunion, Guts and Orkestra Shkodra, plus an extra five bonus tracks featuring music from the issue, including Lucas Santtana, Kimi Djabaté and Firelight Trio.