Billy Bragg has the "Bush War Blues"

Billy Bragg has the "Bush War Blues"
I guess there is little to comment on except here it is:

MP3: Bush War Blues

Source: Anti- Records

Youssou N’Dour Announces New African Health Initiative

At the United Nations on Wednesday, March 29, 2006, Senegalese 'world music' star and social activist Youssou N’Dour announces a new initiative to prevent malaria and to promote better health in Africa.

Activists, policy makers and UN officials will gather to discuss The Roll Back Malaria Campaign at film screening of “Africa Live: The Roll Back Malaria Concert,” a 60-minute concert documentary conceived by Youssou N'Dour and Mick Csaky. A brief panel discussion and reception will precede the film.

Malaria is the largest killer of children in Africa, killing a child every 30 seconds. Every year, an estimated 300-600 million people suffer from the disease. When Malaria strikes, it slows economic growth costing African nations about $12 billion each year, and prevents our future generations from attending school hindering their social development. Its prevention is an important part of poverty reduction and economic development.

Source: UNICEF
More info: www.unicef.org

Tinariwen on tour

North African blues band Tinariwen will be touring the US in April. Cities include New York, Minneapolis, Chicago, Austin, Oakland and Houston. They're one of the freshest bands that I've heard in years. If you can make it, go. Tour info here.

WFMU goes Greek

AKIS PERDIKIS Athens, Greece-based drummer & singer-songwriter will join George Sempepos (Byzan-Tone producer & ex-Annabouboula guitarist etc.) And ROB WEISBERG On Rob's show TRANS-PACIFIC SOUND PARADISE

Saturday 3/25/06 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
WFMU 91.1 FM in the NYC area and STREAMING LIVE AT Wfmu.org
(The show will also be available in digital archive in a few days at the same site)

For a two-hour musical journey through the Greek alternative rock,  psych-garage,  folk-rock and ethnic fusion scenes, with side trips to other Mediterranean ports-of-call.

Youth For Youth World Music & Arts Fest

The First Annual Youth For Youth World Music & Arts Fest
San Francisco - April 30, 2006
Bay Area musicians perform for and share their musical heritage with young audiences and their families in San Francisco.

The Youth For Youth World Music & Arts Fest is an annual professional youth concert series that integrates young artists ages 5-17 into a larger cross-cultural community of world music masters and youth audiences. By bringing together multi-generations of artists and families, the festival provides a professional performing arena for young people to experience cultural awareness through traditional music, while building tolerance and respect for different cultures and peoples of the world, as well as the pluralistic social perspectives necessary to work across cultural differences.

This is part of a continuing series of events produced by The SF World Music Festival

World Music Charts Europe - March 2006

What's getting played on World Music radio in Europe?
Here's the March 2006 World Music Charts Europe

1. KINAVANA Kekele, D.R. Congo (Stern's)
   
2. KAL Kal, Serbia (Asphalt Tango)
   
3. AFRICAN REBEL MUSIC various (Out Here)
   
4. FAREWELL SHALABIYE No Blues, Netherlands/Israel (Rounder Europe)
   
5. MIERO Värttinä, Finland (Realworld)
   
6. BELLOW POETRY Maria Kalaniemi, Finland (Aito)
   
7. UKRAINE CALLING Haydamaky, Ukraine (EastBlok)
   
8. LA VIDA TE DA Amparanoia, Spain (Wrasse)
   
9. LAMP FALL Cheikh Lo, Senegal (World Circuit)
   
10. A LIFE IN MUSIC Ananda Shankar, India (Saregama / beatScience)
    

More charts online
Many of these recordings are available at cdRoots

©2006 World Music Charts Europe

2006 Danish Music Awards: H&H and Trio Mio

The 2006 Danish Music Awards have given the prize to a number of artists that RootsWorld likes, including Haugaard & Høirup (Folk Artist of the Year - Traditional) and their recent recording Gæstebud (Album of the Year); Trio Mio ( Folk Artist of the Year - Contemporary) and Kristine Heebøll (The Folk Composer of the Year). A full list of the awards should be posted soon online at the Danish Folk Music Council.

More on Ali Farka Toure

There are articles and obits all over the web for the great Malian guitarist, but perhaps the best tribute is this short program made in Niafunke by Afropop's Georges Collinet in 1994.

Or if you you do the brand-name 'Podcast' thing, you can do it the hard, as well as read a number of other tributes, on the Afropop web site

Os Mutantes & Nacao Zumbi

For those of you in the UK, Brazil's Os Mutantes are playing a reunion show at Barbican on 22 May 2006. This will be their first live performance in 33 years. Nacao Zumbi opens. More info here.

U.S. Crossover Hits Elude Latin Alternative

NPR had a nice segment on Latin Alternative bands today, including Aterciopelados, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Ozomatli and Café Tacuba. It's part of a series. Main page is here.

Ali Farka Toure RIP

Ali Farka Toure, the legendary guitarist from Mali, died on March 7th in Bamako after a long illness. Poet of the strings, an innovator within his roots, and finally, mayor of his hometown of Niafunke, he was truly a global original.