Asere, one of the many g reat bands touring the UK this summer - see ‘On the road' for dates for th e ir gigs and other key world music events Photo Label B leu/H o llis

4 Soundtracks L u c y D u ra n ta lk s a b o u t he r new d is c o f kora p la ye rs T oum an i D ia b a te and B a l la k e S is so ko ; M a r t in Gordon re c o u n ts h is e x p e r ie n c e r e c o rd in g M u s ta p h a T e tte y A dd y a t hom e in G hana; H u u n -H u u r -T u e x p la in w h y t h e i r new a lb u m is th e one t h e y ’ ve a lw a ys w a n te d to m a ke ; and S h a k t i r e tu rn in c o n c e r t and on d is c . A ls o : w e b s ite s w o r th a v is i t , re a d e rs ’ le t te rs and news

18 Cover feature: Ibrahim Ferrer The re c o rd in g o f 7 2 -y e a r -o ld C uban s in g e r Ib ra h im Ferrer's f i r s t so lo d is c fo rm s th e ba c k d ro p to W im W enders's fo r th c o m in g f i lm Buena Vista Social Club. Wenders te l ls th e s to ry o f h is e n th u s ia sm fo r Ferrer and h is fe l lo w m u s ic ia n s and how i t le d h im to m a ke th e fe a tu re 22 Compass points Mark H udson ta lk s to several m u s ic ia n s w ho have made careers in m u s ic a l genres o u s t id e th e i r own c u l tu r e s and asks w h e th e r i t re a l ly is po ss ib le fo r a fo re ig n e r to becom e as p r o f ic ie n t as a na t iv e p la yer 24 The Songlines guide to ...

Algerian rai A n d y M o rg an re vea ls th e t r o u b le d h is to ry b e h in d rai, a pa s s io n a te and y e a r n in g m u s ic h u g e ly p o p u la r in F rance a nd w h ic h is e n jo y in g in c re a s in g in te r n a t io n a l success 34 The a rt of music T h e m in ia tu r e ragamala p a in t in g s o f a n c ie n t N o r th In d ia are one o f th e c o u n t r y 's m o s t b e a u t i fu l in h e r i ta n c e s . Jane Harvey e x p la in s t h e i r m u s ic a l s ig n i f ic a n c e 36 Tools of the trade: the mbira T h is is sue lo oks a t th e s o f t ly -s p o k e n mbira, o r ‘ t h u m b p ia n o ’ o f Z im b a bw e . Sue S te w a rd d is c o v e re d i t s in t r ic a te d e ta i ls a n d lo ng h is to ry w hen she m e t C h a r tw e l l D u t iro , e x -M a p fu m o p la y e r a n d L o n d o n ’s re s id e n t mbira m aestro

44 Top of the world The E d i to r ’s s e le c t io n o f th e to p te n CDs re v ie w ed in t h is is sue 45 Reviews A f r ic a Page 4 5 N o r th A m e r ic a Page 5 4 S ou th and C e n t ra l A m e r ic a a n d Page 5 7 th e C a r ib be an A s ia Page 7 0

A u s t r a l ia and th e P a c i f ic Is la n d s Europe Jew is h m u s ic M id d le East Fusion G lo b a l c o m p i la t io n s Books

Page 8 0 Page 8 0 Page 9 0 Page 9 0 Page 9 3 Page 9 6 Page 9 6

100 Label traveller S im o n B ro u g h to n p r o f i le s th e re co rd la b e ls F la n n ib a l, T r ik o n t and S m i th s o n ia n Fo lkw ays 102 On the road Dates and v enues fo r som e o f th e key UK even ts to w a tc h o u t fo r in th e n e x t q u a r te r , i n c l u d i n g c o n c e r ts by Ib ra h im Fe rre r and R uben G onzalez, C esaria Evora, S h a k t i , T h e C h ie f ta in s and F lu u n -H u u r -T u , as w e l l as fe s t iv a ls s u c h as T h e B a rb ic a n C e n t re 's jC ub a P re s en te ! , th e A r ts W o r ld w id e B a n g la d e s h i F e s t iv a l and a Sacred Voices M u s ic V i l la g e 110 UK label distributors A d i r e c to r y fo r UK s u p p l ie r s o f re c o rd la be ls fe a tu r e d in Songlines

112 Backpack A n d y K e rshaw to o k h is dad to h is f i r s t A f r ic a n g ig and a lm o s t c o n v e r te d h im to th e jo y s o f h i p - g y r a t in g d iv a s , d a n c in g in th e a is le s and m u s ic w hose w o rd s you c a n ’ t u n d e rs ta n d

Cover and m a in cover fe a tu re photos World C ircuit/L enquette

Key to recording details © I n d ic a te s a f u l l p r ic e CD ( £ 1 0 - 0 0 o r over) ® in d ic a te s a m e d iu m p r ic e CD ( £ 7 - 0 0 - £ 9 - 9 9 ) ® i n d ic a te s a ba rg a in p r ic e CD ( £ 5 - 0 0 - £ 6 - 9 9 )

In CD re v ie w h e a d in g s , a r t is t n am e s a re g iv e n f i r s t , fo l lo w e d b y th e t i t l e o f th e d is c , th e re c o rd la b e l, re c o rd p r ic e ra nge an d c a ta lo g u e n u m b e r , and t o t a l t im i n g o f th e d is c

S um m e r 1 9 99 Songlines 3