“I find it difficult to clap after a song about domestic violence” says my friend as Rachel Unthank and the Winterset finished one of no fewer than four songs touching the darker side of life at London’s Jazz Café last night.

All check in, Ragga Twins Deh Bout!

Tuesday 29 July will see two acclaimed Latin funk collectives take to the Jazz Café stage in a special gig to showcase new albums on Aire Sol Records.

Every since MamikO Motto appeared as a guest on Gilles Peterson’s Beat Generation Show the other week, she’s been really busy being the girl about town (currently Amsterdam), DJing and setting up her new radio show so here’s more 1 to 1 with the DJ known as 1.1

Hot on the heals of their warm up gig at Cargo last week, New Zealand’s finest The Black Seeds are set up for some more hot summer tour dates.

For us francophiles, July is a great month as we get to celebrate someone elses party on Bastille Day and it’s when the Tour de France starts, especially this year as it starts in Brittany where there’s so many ex-pat second homes. But this year, you’d be better of being in London as the greatest 4 turntable scratchin’ crew are in town!

The line-up for this special event now includes Pete Doherty, Martha Wainwright, Julie Fowlis, Baby Gramps, David Thomas, Keith Moline, Gavin Friday, Langley Sisters, Teddy Thompson, Kami Thompson, Jenni Muldaur, Eliza Carthy, Martin Carthy, Norma Waterson, Robyn Hitchcock – as well as actor Tim Robbins and cartoonist Ralph Steadman

Courting controversy, Gilles Peterson has just announced A Night Of Death Jazz at Camden’s Roundhouse which will feature Tokyo’s Soil & “Pimp” Sessions, The Mighty Jeddo and 2BO4. alongside musikal selectahs Toshio ‘UFO’ Matsuura, drum’n’bass don Fabio and GP himself. Win a pair of tickets and a signed copy of Soil & “Pimp” Sessions’ latest CD

One of the hottest festivals this summer finds the Mighty Boosh team in Kent on a Hop Farm proving comedy is the new rock’n’roll.

Bristol’s ambitious Venn Festival came to the end of its fifth year in spectacular fashion with a showpiece evening at Thekla on Sunday 7 June.

The mythical, dangerous, acrobatic and heroic world of Mexico’s masked men. Featuring 16 of Mexico’s finest Luchadores including El Hijo Del Santo & Blue Demon Jr

The first London show in five years from the great Salsa star aka El Sonero Mayor (‘The Great Improviser’), Oscar D’Leon

From Egypt to Cuba, India to France, Cambodia to Brazil and Japan, the 2008 line up already has a fantastic mix of acts confirmed from 36 countries across the world

Whilst 50,000 music fans got on the ferry to the Isle Of Wight this weekend, not to be outdone, Pete Lawrence of Big Chill put together a weekend of great entertainment in Dorset. And it had nothing to do with Magners!

The new Padded Cell 12” with remixes by The Glimmers and Binary Chaffinch is out on Monday, 16th June; spread the word of mouth.

The daughter of the most famous singer in the history of Brasilian pop music is coming to London to promote her latest album Samba Meu. She’ll perform at the Barbican on Saturday 28th June — her only UK show.

London’s Royal Opera house may not be a household name as a global music venue yet, despite having established a yearly lineup of cracking bands including Bellowhead and Joana Amendoeira (last year). But this year’s Voices Across the World festival shows a more comprehensive, determined effort to make the association stick.

The Turbine Hall will host a rare showing of two groundbreaking films by the acclaimed Senegalese director Djibril Diop Mambéty (1945-1998). Unfortunately due to visa issues, Konono No1 have had to cancel. See below for refund information

Free festival celebrating the work of refugee artists and launching Refugee Week.

The sacred fire of Afrobeat. The heritage of Fela

London’s loudest and skronkiest, Led Bib headline one of London’s best independent venues, Corsica Studios, on Wednesday 28th May with brilliant support from The Invisible and Examples of Twelve

Carlinhos Brown is set to appear on the Barbican on June 24th supported by funkeiro Mr Catra

With the sun finally coming out to play this week, the plans for 2008 spectacular are now at an advanced stage and it’s time to check out what’s to look forward to

The BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music celebrate their seventh birthday with dazzling nominations from around the globe and add a brand new awards ceremony. Voting for the audience award closes soon…

Alex Proud’s pride and joy in the heart of Camden Town, Proud re-opened the other week after a major refurbishment and he’s only gone that one step further and got Monday night’s best gig in town back, yep its Dom & Hugo’s Favourite Things!

Within the space of one month, London’s Jazz Cafe plays host for two singular names in the Afrobeat genre: representing the old guard is Tony Allen, one of the foremost figures in the music’s inception. Representing the new generation is the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, a wild collection of New Yorkers with its own niche on the international circuit

As part of this year’s Red Bull Music Academy programme in London, this special edition of ‘Broad Casting’ presents Mulatu Astatke and The Heliocentrics with Gilles Peterson and Karen P on the decks

The Barbican has long been the favoured venue of many a Brazilian singer. Seu Jorge, Gilberto Gill and Marisa Monte have all graced its stage and now it is preparing to celebrate 50 years of Bossa nova.

Mean Fiddler founder Vince Power returns to the festival stage with legend Neil Young headlining ‘A Day at the Hop Farm’

Annually since 2001, La Linea been defining and re-defining contemporary Latin music. In previous years the festival has brought the likes of Gotan Project, Seu Jorge, Pink Martini and Spanish Harlem Orchestra to the UK for the first time. 2008’s debutantes include The Ipanemas from Brazil, the originators of Afro Bossa finally arriving in the UK nearly 50 years after their formation: Argentina’s Melingo and Forro In The Dark from Brazil via New York

With the full force of DJ Dolores’ Brazilian beats, La Linea kicked off with an early pre-launch party for the coming season of Latin gigs

In his first live music project since Attica Blues, DJ, producer and poet Charlie Dark reconnects the dance rhythms of West coast Africa with the digital beats of his East London home

With parts of London now officially Brazilian (Willesden, Harlesden and bits of Oxford Street being just a few examples) the yellow and green cultural invasion of the UK continues. Carnival may have been and gone but fans of Brazilian music should fear not. The next few months offer some rich pickings and here is just a taste of what is on offer.

Regularly cited as the critic’s choice, Joell makes his debut appearance in Europe on Friday 28th March 2008 at La Raza, Carling Islington Academy in London

The great US jazz vocalist has re-energised her career with a thrilling tribute to her West African roots, which receives its UK première at the Barbican

Cuban Salsa Band musician Ernesto Estruch and his band Son de Havana hit the real ale pub in South London

On 6 January three kings arrived bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the newly born baby Jesus, or so the story goes. Well, this year things are shaping up a little differently and the kings will be arriving in London on 1 December. There will be a lot more than three of them and their gifts will be musical

Poole Lighthouse hosted the third Unsafe Festival this weekend with the usual array of known and unknown artists experimenting in improvised music including the veterans Keith and Julie Tippett

Back in the Gilles Peterson fan club days, the Latin jazz label to look for was Fania and one of the legends is coming to London as part of the London Jazz Week

The second annual London Gypsy Film Festival will kick off at The Ritzy (Nov 2-4) and Greenwich Picture House (Nov 9-11).

A vibrant Latin American musical night in celebration of “Dia de Los Muertos” (Day of the Dead)

Since 2005, Cumbre Flamenca has brought top-notch flamenco artists to perform in Madrid’s underground, and organizers at Metro de Madrid have been careful not to repeat themselves.

This is homework for the jazz crowd and Prof. Herbie Hancock gives Richie a gold star on the new ‘Roundtable’ head to the UK on tour.

Amjad Ali Khan presents a ‘portrait’ at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. We have a pair of tickets to give away and four CDs for runners up…

The worldwide launch of Tenori-on was held at the Vinyl Factory last night. Not one to miss an opportunity to be at the start of a revolution, in true suit marketing speak, I can announce, “The future has arrived!”

Up until a week or so before the festival started it still seemed uncertain whether The Big Chill would go ahead - nestled in the Malvern hills, its proximity to Tewksbury make it prime target for a flooding.

“Over at Womad they’re under one and a half feet of water,” Mark Radcliffe tells the crowd at Stage Two before introducing Sharon Shannon.

Stones Throws’ headman Peanut Butter Wolf brought over Percee P and Guilty Simpson for a quick European tour recently and Fly finds out how Mr. Wolf can make “Wight Trash” from Tesco look good

For one night only, the end of the pier transformed into the dojo for New Zealand’s finest, The Black Seeds. Hectic was on hand to ensure there was a honourable encounter and a good time was had by all

Willie Colón performs his final farewell set at London’s Roundhouse as Fania records release his double CD retrospective: The Player

Expect extraordinary, radical grooves from this cult Congolese dance outfit who stormed WOMAD last year and picked up a BBC Radio 3 Newcomers Award for World Music

This autumn the Barbican’s Ramadan Nights season will return for its third year, opening at the close of this key Muslim festival

The free Diaspora London Music Village has a stunning new venue: on the banks of the Serpentine in London’s HYDE PARK, just yards from where the Rolling Stones gave their legendary 1969 free concert

The Lovebox Summer of Love 2007 has clearly been programmed with the Fly reader in mind. Take Tinariwen, Gilles Peterson. Ojos de Brujo, Sly & the Family Stone, K’Naan, Tunng and dozens of others for the festival that you don’t have to sleep at

If you’ve no idea what a boutique festival is, check out the huge Fly-friendly line-up at this independent set up called Bloom.

The trailblazing DJ Shadow is set to appear at indigO2 in July

Youssou N’Dour is appearing at indigO2 on 21st July in support of his new album, Alsaama Day

Come and support a special evening ofmusic, dance, words in aid of MAP’s emergency work in Gaza & The West Bank

“We met these Kiwis who played us some music, but we can only remember Fat Freddys Drop. It’s not as if you can forget them can you?” This was what one of the excited locals told me at the newly refurbished Opera House last night for the first gig on this short promotional tour

For their 25th anniversary year WOMAD has announced Charlton Park, with its stunning setting in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside, as the new home for the WOMAD Festival

Last year saw the birth of the Hip Life Festival and despite a number of skeptics, seven of the top Hip-Life artists stepped down from Ghana to perform live at the Stratford Rex, London. This event became one of the most memorable events in the Ghanaian music calendar in the UK

Black Pocket is Steve Spacek’s latest project on Exit Records and the London launch party at Plastic People is coming soon.

A full summer is ahead of festivals and city events and we have the pick of them here…

Wychwood started three years ago with the most amazing line-up for global music fans. This year we got some big names back and the weather gods blessed us. The music summer has now officially begun

Seun Kuti is the son of Nigeria’s most beloved musician and most acerbic social critic - Fela Kuti, who died in 1997. And now you have the chance to hear his new material and catch him on tour in the US and Europe

MTV Base (UK) will be championing African music in a dedicated new weekly programming slot. Entitled ‘MTV Base Africa’, the late-night block will be based on music sourced by MTV’s African channel — MTV base (Africa)

After the success of their 2006 shows, the Brazilian cultural group AfroReggae has announced it will return to the Barbican for a two-night repeat performance. They will take to stage with their ‘From The Favela To The World’ show on June 28th and 29th

African DJs and bands galore on Saturday 28 July 2007, 2pm - 10pm will be at North London’s Union Chapel in Islington. The festival will help raise funds for charities working with women and children in Zimbabwe

Following the success of their first album Dedication, released at the end of 2006, DAM has embarked on an international tour this spring and summer

The sixth annual BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music Poll Winners’ Concert 2007 will be held at the Barbican on Sunday 27th May – the culmination of a weekend of events featuring the cream of world music artists and broadcasters

Three live bands, three top DJs and a rammed venue all added up to a marvellous Wah Wah 45s at Cargo in Shoreditch.

From Balkan brass and furious fiddles to flamboyant flamenco and Russian romance, The 1000 Year Journey revisits one of the Barbican’s most popular festivals first staged back in 2000 and once again includes some of the greatest names of Roma and Gypsy music

Tickets for Larmer Tree are going faster than the Amazon Rainforest but there are still a few left for Thursday and Wednesday nights. Billy Bragg, Show of Hands, Courtney Pine, Balkan Beat Box anyone?

Set within the walls of the 17th Century Petrovaradin Fortress, Exit is the biggest music and cultural event in South East Europe. Renowned for its diverse and adventurous line ups, this years event will play host to some of the finest hip hop, r’n’b, reggae and drum & bass artists during the 4-day extravaganza. Headlining the Main Stage will be: Snoop Dog, Wu Tang Clan, Lauryn Hill, Beastie Boys, LTJ Bukem & MC Conrad with more tba

Artists from all over Europe are set to decend on Manchester for a free two day street festival celebrating the diversity of urban European culture.

Tickets are on sale now for this long running and ever popular monster of a jazz festival

The idea is simple yet original - take the vibrant and often transient art form of Brazilian graffiti out of its predominantly urban context and apply it to the ancient and permanent walls of an historic rural castle in Scotland.

Brazilian psych-rock superstars Os Mutantes to play first-ever live shows in Scotland and Liverpool (plus rare London date and brand-new material from Gruff Rhys, King Creosote, Bonde Do Role, Four Tet, Diplo, and Ben Westbeech

The Institut français’ annual celebration of cultural diversity, Mosaïques, is back for its 9th edition, with another lively and inspiring mix of world cinema, literature and music

Summer 2007 looks to be full of exciting prospects for those who love reggae music. Festivals happening across Europe will bring together some of the biggest names in the genre

After the huge success of the re-launched GusGus, Iceland’s favourites announce they are going on tour around Europe over the next few months

Journo and jazzer Charlotte Bullock takes us on a tour of Leeds’ fine jazz venues

Patriarcas de la Rumba — a group of old-time Catalan Gypsies are predicted to tear up the sedate surroundings of Islington’s Sadler’s Wells.

It’s time to dust off your flip-flops and dig out you shades as Fly sifts through some of the Brazilian events set to land in London over the coming months.

This month Kalabash joins up with Afrogroov to mark the Rwandan genocide and celebrate the positive voice of culture in Rwanda

The Toronto Red Bull Academy 2007 kicks off this April with Info Sessions across the UK from DJs, producers and musicians.

Rogue Morris and some crazy Cuban Scottish dancing combined to create a memorable Oxford Folk Festival.

Plans for The Big Chill festival 2007 are well underway and Fly can give you a sneak preview of the first line-up for the chillfest in the beautiful surroundings of Herefordshire’s Eastnor Park.

Serious presents Malian uber-star Salif Keita and exciting new sound Akli-D in London

Win a shiny pair of CDs (one of each of these artist’s brilliant new releases) to get you in the mood for what promises to be one of those ‘were you there’ gigs of 2007

Following its great success last year Heart of the World returns to Cambridge for a second year.

Birds Eye View Film Festival presents six days of inspiration and celebration, showcasing the very best work from women filmmakers

sumptuous selection of wonderful African bands coming to London including faves like Netsayi, Ba Cissoko and Africando as well as big names like Natacha Atlas…

Discover a world of south Asian cultural arts at the Darbar Festival. Experience the diversity of classical music in over three days of performances from over 40 maestros and great new talent from the UK and abroad

In March, two leading Cuban rap groups, Obsesión and Los Paisanos, will be touring the UK in association with cultural organization Movimientos

Step aboard the London Gypsy Orchestra’s musical caravan for an exhilarating journey through Eastern Europe and the Balkans live at Cecil Sharp House

Annually, since the turn of the millennium, La Linea been defining and re-defining contemporary Latin music. In previous years the festival has brought the likes of Gotan Project, Seu Jorge, Pink Martini and Spanish Harlem Orchestra to the UK for the first time

For the first time, this year La Linea features a complimentary film programme put together by Barbican Film and featuring outstanding music documentaries

Soundcrash are following up their massive party at Cargo the other week with more gigs that will get you checking the train times to get home

“I was here twenty years ago as Short Stories,” Steve Knightley tells a crowded Half Moon. “And I’m still here now”. A section of the crowd clearly remembers.

For the past year Fly has been following some of the hottest new folk acts on the scene and it’s great to see so many of the names we’ve featured have been nominated for awards at this year’s Radio 2 Folk Awards.

The excellent Oxford Folk Festival is in its fourth year with a cracking line-up, and as a festival going from strength to strength it’s high time to head for those dreaming spires.

The Nostalgia 77 Octet has been steadily building up a great following and critical acclaim and there’s going to be a high demand for the forthcoming gig at The Spitz.

This year’s Aberdeen Jazz Festival is upon us already, one of the year’s earliest, and there’s a fair line-up including sax player Tommy Smith, The Neil Cowley Trio and a guitairst you should never miss if he’s in your neck of the woods, Martin Taylor.

Tuesday evening means a journey to Other Worlds. These weekly happenings at Guanabara, morph the Drury Lane venue, known for its worthy advocation of Brazilian culture, into a space resonating with intergalactic worldwide harmonic rhythms.

Hectic was extremely proud to find he was the first guest at Favourite Things this week, a new night in Camden Town that brings together jazz fans to celebrate this most maligned and misunderstood of genres.

Once again, three outstanding stars of African music are coming to the UK on this years’ African Soul Rebel tour.

Nico El Bambino and Cardenas present Dembow hosted at the exclusive new Club 205 on the Holloway Road

A day of artist talks, demonstrations and performances exploring the power of sound in the environment and its changing role in the digital domain

On this new night at the Big Chill House, half of Yam Yam, DJ Yam teams up with Biggabush for a night of “rocksteady, Afro, Funk, Latin, soul, dubtronic, batucada, ska and bugalu!”

DJ Suga Kan’n on the decks and Grupo Lokito and Mano de Dios kick off this new west London night

Paul Artrocker on the Artrocker show on Resonance was praising this exhibition of paintings, drawing, sculpture and photography curated by Harry Pye last week. Peel had helped Pye promote an art exhibition many years ago and so was one of many fans who can say, “John Peel changed my life.”

With impeccable timing, the best 12” of the year is being released very soon via Routine Records

Wychwood offers VIP tickets as a festive season special and first acts announced

Live music, DJs and films in Hoxton’s Cargo and all for a good cause too

With little more than hope and reggae to sustain them through war, bereavement and displacement, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars came through it all and are here to put a smile on Londoners’ faces

There was a partcularly laid-back atmosphere around the place prior to this Sold Out concert which is very in keeping with the multi-talented superstar Seu Jorge.

Istanbul’s Babylon club is pretty much the universally proffered answer to the question, where should one go in Istanbul for exciting live music…

South African band Freshlyground scooped the hottest category for the MTV Awards. Simon and Zolani of the band received the award from MTV base VJ Sizwe Dhlomo at the Bella Center, Copenhagen

The fifth Discovering Latin America Film Festival brings together an eclectic mix of internationally acclaimed feature films, documentaries and short films, in London’s leading Latin American film festival

An eclectic and exciting selection of musical talent will descend on Rennes’ Parc Expo for this year’s Trans Musicales in December

Check out the fantastic line-up below for the Fiesta des Suds in Marseille 20 - 30 October. Gotan Project, Cesaria Evora, Estrella Morente and Coldcut. For extra flavour, I have left the details in French.

While the health of the great leader is in doubt, no such worries exist for the state of Cuban music. The best of the best will be in London this month for a night of music, cocktails and cigars

Atlantic Waves 2006 is packed with the innovative international collaborations that have come to make this exploratory music festival so successful. Highlights this year are the contrasting genres of African and Experimental.

Musical collaborators, old and new, will gather at Cheltenham Town Hall (Saturday, October 21) to help acclaimed singer songwriter Johnny Coppin celebrate a 30 year solo career

On Sunday 15th October, the award-winning venue, The Bedford in Balham is the setting for the 2nd annual OneTaste Festival; the perfect indoor party and concert, boasting 3 floors of incredible live entertainment

Fans of Hundred Strong live with Jason Todd and Lunversol9 will know that this is a gig too good to miss.

Listeners of talkSPORTS’ Birthday Spread today will know it’s Steve Reich’s birthday, but it was yesterday Andy, and Paul, he’s definitely not 59.

WOMAD has just announced its decision to move from the Rivermead site in Reading — home to the UK edition of the festival since 1990

Gerry Hectic previews the new regular night of out-there Latin and Brazilian sounds at Guanabara and casts his eye over the latest Sol Y Luna release

Join Fly’s DJ Jose Luis for a night of reggaeton, hip hop and old school salsa down at Cargo, London on 19 October

Radio 1’s Huw Stephens from Cardiff and your humble correspondent wouldn’t seem to have much in common, but there’s a couple of things we agree on. Fancy dress parties aren’t our thing and we’re both big Daedelus fans.

Ever wanted to run away with the circus? Maybe Iraq wouldn’t be your first choice of destination… but for a group of English clowns two and a half years ago it was

October 8th marks a coming of age for African hip hop when Afrolution Records, the London-based African hip hop label, is bringing together some of the biggest names in African hip hop for a night of hip hop from the Motherland to take place at East London’s Cargo

Nottinghill Carnival may have come and gone but that doesn’t mean your carnival spirit has to die with it as London is set to play host to a plethora of Brazillian events this autumn

Global Local’s the place to find the finest in global music. 25 events featuring between 4 & 6 acts will be performing right across London at all the major festivals in the next 2 years. There are still a couple more events to catch during September

Not content with opening one hand-crafted Amazon store to cater for global music culture jazz hop heads, we have opened two (one for US and one for UK readers)

Wychwood Music Festival will return to Cheltenham Racecourse for its third year on 1-3 June 2007. Festival favourites and Beautiful Days Festival curators the Levellers will be headlining the Main Stage on Friday and if you are quick, there is an early bird offer…

Heralding the coming of Autumn, the Twisted Folk Tour (18th- 29th October) boasts three bands from three countries, all testament to the boom of folk-influenced music on both sides of the Atlantic, and our insatiable appetite for music that eschews the shiny and the formulaic in favour of something altogether darker, stranger, lovelier

As The Spitz Festival of Folk starts this weekend, I see some of the nu-folk acts that we have featured on Fly over the last few years will be appearing. Also some of the leading lights of the early scene are appearing and if you need an introduction to the early years, a good compilation is an album called Gather In The Mushrooms: The British Folk Underground 1968-1974. It seems to Hectic that it’s good time to have a look at both to embrace a genre of music that covers nearly a forty-year period.

After the success of the first edition in July 2005, it is the turn of the famed Parisian venue Le Triptyque to welcome ‘It Becomes Infectious’ organised by Ice & Spice Records and re-uniting the international artists who have helped put them on to the international scene

For some folks, the highlight of the Wychwood Music Festival 2006 this year was Mercury nominated Seth Lakeman. With a new single and album out, the October tour has just been announced

As a rule I’d prefer to run a mile (or even a marathon) if you talk of reinterpreting the work of ‘rock and roll’s sharpest musical minds’. However, when Norma Winstone adds her seal of approval to events, I’m going to be at the front of the queue.

Having made his name playing jazz and hip hop, Soweto Kinch places both under the umbrella of a fictional radio documentary as a ‘Radio 4’ voice narrates the stories of the inhabitants of a tower block in Birmingham’s B19 district

After almost a 10 year break DMC return with The Summit where World Champions of the highest order gather under one roof for the ultimate turntable showdown. This is the pinnacle of the two day event and the only opportunity to see these legends jam together and showcase their individual skills.

Fans of Ghanaian Hip-Hop known as Hip-Life are in for a treat in the coming weeks. On Saturday 2 September, the stage will be set at the Stratford Rex in East London, for one of the biggest Ghanaian live music events to take place in the UK

Chill the festival demanded, so chill we did. By increments the stress of crowded, polluted, faceless city living fell away to the strains of Fink, Adem, Coldcut and Bugz in the Attic, to stunning scenery, a blissed-out crowd and plenty of trees to hug.

A new summer festival has been announced on Bournemouth’s doorstep. The Bloom festival will host a selection of cultured electronic beats and bass, all taking place over the weekend of the 11th - 13th August.

Graham Crothers looks over Belfasts’ cultural highlights for August

The event is happening on Friday 1 September at Jamm in Brixton, and will see musicians, performers and DJs from around the world coming together, raising funds and awareness for the native people of West Papua who face extinction at the hands of the illegally occupying Indonesian forces.

Of all the festivals you need to get yourself down to in the UK this sweltering summer, this is the one most likely to provide a welcome chillout in the beautiful surroundings of the Malvern Hills.

Wednesday, August 9th sees the V&A showcase a 1960s undeground music and dance day of talks and lectures followed by a full on ska, bluebeat reggae & soul party. And in the best of 60s tradition, it’s free!

The line up for 2006.

Free event! Don’t miss a great opportunity to see the real Latin America at the Latin Carnaval

It is hard to write objectively about a gig like Friday’s picnic-cum-outdoor festival in Kew Gardens. Because when the sun is out and you’re given free wine, cheese, chocolate and apple juice (‘lovingly’ handed out by the sponsors) you can’t help feeling, ‘this is great…’

Graham Crothers casts his eye over the cultural highlights for Belfast for the second half of July

The awards event guarantees the best Nigeria can offer in music and unbridled entertainment, bringing together the creme-de-la-creme of the Nigerian and the African Caribbean communities with all the glamour, panache and style that that entails.

As one of the most trusted names in listing magazines there is, Time Out is part of a new series of CD/DVD’s covering New York, Paris and London called ‘The Other Side of’.

Listing magazine par excellence, Time Out is part of a new series of CD/DVD’s covering New York, Paris and London called ‘The Other Side of’.

George Peguero is the newest singing sensation from Cuba. Something of a child prodigy, George won many national singing competitions during his early years and appeared several times on Cuban TV

‘Namu naala, gisse naala gisse! - I’ve missed you, long time no see!’ Anyone who didn’t understand any Wolof before the Rio Loco festival in Toulouse will have returned home from the 5-day event with those two phrases wedged into their memories…

When you’re about to launch a new label, you need to get a few things in place first and it would appear Nik Weston has covered them all.

When you’re about to launch a new label, you need to get a few things in place first and it would appear Nik Weston has covered them all.

Live and direct all the way from New Zealand, Katchafire are the next reggae band looking to make an impression.

Silvio Rodríguez is to perform in London for the Music Fund for Cuba. Guests include John Williams, with a special opening set from members of Madness and Ska Cubano

All the big names in leftfield folk music will be down at the Arts Depot in London for a spectacular gig.

Featuring DJs from Bugz, Co-Op + Uprock plus special guests and we have no fewer than five pairs of tickets to give away

There was only ever going to be one home for The Heritage Orchestra once Gilles Peterson decided to set up his new Brownswood Recordings label.

After 18 hot months of booty-shaking dancehall and reggaeton madness at Rhythm Factory, it’s time for the monthly Heatwave party to move on. The night will return at a brand new venue in September/October 2006. For the last event at Rhythm Factory it’s all about the residents doing what they do best, and firing up a party not to be missed…

This is a free music festival with some big headline names, Graham Coxon, Sway, Buzzcocks, The Wailers, Killa Kela and many more but Roy Ayers is the one for the sunshine…

The Official Mehfil Match After Party. Bollywood summer-themed event with Shishas and DJ Fantasia playing the best in R’n’B, Bhangra, Bollywood, Arabic, Latin, commercial beats & more as well as a few more surprises on the night!

Legend of Brazilian music for over 30 years, Sergio Mendes, makes a long awaited return to London. There’s also a chance to catch Gilles Peterson for free beforehand

If there is more likeable rascal of a record this year, I’ll eat my swizzle stick. Filthy “double ententes” rub shoulders with stinging satire much as the original patrons of Dirty Jims mixed it up back in the day

Live and Direct from Senegal, “Africa’s answer to Public Enemy” — Pee Froiss — with support from king of the UK dancehall Swel Daag and from Zimbabwe’s DKR plus DJs Heatwave, Eric Soul and Ilka

Brasilian beer Brahma is inviting you to celebrate the spirit of Brasil this summer with TrocaBrahma. TrocaBrahma will fuse the finest in established and up and coming UK and Brasilian music talent for an exceptional series of sonic fiestas, live shows and collaborations in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, (venue details below), from July 28-30.

Daedelus had a quick visit to Ninja Tune HQ last week and found time to do an in-store appearance at Banquet Rocords in Kingston. Never one to say no, Hectic got to hang out with the great man on the 4.30 from Waterloo.

Now there’s not much the Ed. and Hectic agree on, but we certainly agreed the highlight of the Wychwood Festival was Ed Motta and his band on Saturday night.

It’s an exciting time for music fans in the North West as the line-up is announced for Eclectica, St.Helens annual free music festival ON Sunday 13 August 2006. Up-and-coming acts share a stage with old hands like Spearhead.

BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3 are preparing to celebrate their sixth annual BBC Jazz Awards. This year’s awards will feature Quincy Jones, Jools Holland, the UK’s most popular pianist and bandleader, and the multi-platinum selling Jamie Cullum

In this year’s World Cup in Germany there are five African teams taking part: Angola, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo and Tunisia. You will find numerous pubs, bars etc in London to watch the World Cup matches but for those wishing to support Ghana, Ivory Coast and Angola in a fun atmosphere, check out some of the special events taking at Herbal in Shoreditch

Party in true Latin style at the Carnival de Cuba London Festival. The Carnival de Cuba London Festival returns to London for 2006 with a huge showcase of live music, dance, workshops and more, exploding on to the South Bank in June.

This is the first Best Kept Secret Weekender and they’ve gone to one of the best party cities in the world to have it. Four days in Amsterdam would be great in normal circumstances but BSK have lined up a program of exceptional reggae, disco, house, broken beat, neo-soul and future jazz.

Graham Crothers presents Belfast cities cultural highlights for June

Catch Robert Plant and Salif Keita, belly dancing and gypsy punk, African Day and the Children’s World at this mammoth two-week long festival.

London’s first Balkan Fever festival. Catch Balkan Fever!

The Bays have upped their live appearances recently as they warm up for their big summer gig in Cheltenham.

Different people, different cultures, one language: music…

Experience the powerful variety and vibrancy of African culture and be thrilled by a range of African music, dance, food and crafts on the South Bank at Festival Riverside outside the Royal Festival Hall.

The Sound Of The World DJ Relay is a party like no other, offering contributors to Charlie Gillett’s ‘Sound of the World’ website the chance to show off their skills behind the decks with short DJ sets.

The London African Music Festival starts on the 19th May and runs til 28th May at the Royal Festival Hall. A rich and varied line up including Toumani Diabate, Cheikh Lo and Kanda Bongo Man.

The cream of the world’s Muslim artists assembles in London this summer for the 21st Music Village festival. Guest visiting artists from all over the Islamic world unite with leading UK-based Muslim performers, storytellers, speakers and workshop leaders in a 17-day programme of free events across the city.

Gospel is the biggest-selling music genre throughout Africa and it has had its home in South Africa for a long time. The Soweto Gospel Choir were formed out of this tradition and the group has made a special place for itself in the world’s heart since South Africa told its painful story

Bombay’s Shri (Shrikanth Sriram), of Badmarsh and Shri fame, has been a leading light in the UK Asian music scene since it first came to prominence in the early 1990s and brings his groundbreaking live show to the Albany for one night only on Saturday 27 May. We have a pair of tickets to give away, just read on…

Jorge Ben is a national institution in Brazil and his gigs are as much rallies as concerts. The faithful and the curious come, the first to pay homage and the second to see what the fuss is all about.

Here’s another young man who’s been tagged with ‘the next big thing’ label.

When Cosmic Sounds boss throw as party, he throws a big one.

Following two sold-out shows for the recent London Jazz Festival, Croatian star Darko Rundek makes a triumphant return to London

Romanian gypsy band Taraf de Haidouks played a week of shows at the Lyric to packed houses and wild excitement

Thank you for the hundreds of entries but the competition is now closed and winers hve been notified.

Clubs, live music, art exhibitions and workshops in London. Lots to see and lots to do…

The Latino heat is on! And to get the part started, Fly is offering two free pairs of tickets…

Fly man in Belfast, Graham Crothers takes you on a tour of his city’s cultural highlight’s for May…

Back in the hosting helm comes Perry Louis from the famous jazz dance outfit, JazzCotech, returning to the Salmon & Compass for his heavy session of funk, boogie, jazz and soul with rotating monthly guest DJs

Fresh Styles is committed to showing the best features, documentaries, shorts and music videos on this hip hop planet. It celebrates the diversity and the art of the world’s biggest culture, and is socially conscious, showing films which have a social, historical or political message as well as more ‘mainstream’ and experimental musical and visual content.

Zakopane hosts a dazzling array of global jazz talent this year, ranging from the likes of Mark de Clive-Lowe to Tomasz Stanko, but hurry, it starts soon…

Anga Diaz successfully translated his eclectic Echu Mingua album into a captivating live experience

One of the most exciting line-ups to be found anywhere in the country. Sounds In The Round 2006 in the Open Air Arena at mac in Birmingham is bursting with big names, global grooves and punky attitude.

The Vortex is a much-loved venue that closed down only to reopen in an award-winning new building not far from its old location. Featuring the best in jazz and global music culture

This is La Linea’s 6th year of presenting new trends and moves in music of Latin origin. La Linea takes place in a variety of central London venues throughout April and the ‘06 season promises to keep up the dizzying standards that previous audiences have come to expect.

Further adventures of the poet guitarists and rebel rockers from the southern Sahara desert.

In Association with The Centre of African Studies at SOAS, Friends of Mali-UK invites you to A Celebration of the Life of Ali Farka Toure: Master Musician and Mayor. Tuesday April 4th, 6.30-8.00pm

Twice they have pulled off the “Big Gig” and surprised the sceptics. Now Devon acoustic duo Show of Hands are going for the hat trick — taking on the gamble of hiring and selling out one of the world’s most famous venues — the Royal Albert Hall.

An exciting, violently rhythmical evening of music inspired by the essence and heritage of African rhythms and melodies and their influence in Venezuela, Cuba and Puerto Rico — and what better location than in the Embassy of Venezuela

April sees the addition of a new house of entertainment as The Big Chill follows the success of their Brick Lane bar with the opening of The Big Chill House.

Hailing from Mexico by way of Dublin, Rodrigo y Gabriella are currently touring a sold out circuit around the UK.

This is as an eclectic a crew as you’re likely to find anywhere.

Windmills of The Soul is Kero One’s debut album and the Plug Label’s first full-length release. In addition to the vocals, Mr One is also responsible for the scratching, bass, Moog, synths and the Fender Rhodes playing. Apart from some guest vocals this guy is pretty much self-contained but you wouldn’t think so from the full on soulful sound.

On the first Sunday of every month Sunday Social pumps out the sounds of Africa from Manjaro. Each Sunday Social spotlights a different African country, profiling its hottest new dances and freshest music. On 2nd April they’re spotlighting Senegal, the homeland of Papa Bouba Diop, Youssou N’dour and Patrick Vieira.

Reggaeton, the hypnotic sound of Jamaican dancehall clashing with Latin hip hop, has swept the world in the last two years and now it is blowing up in London

A week of live music and events tying in with the Ritzy’s annual HRWFF with films and live acts from across the globe.

An annual event highlighting musical excellence from all the countries that border the great river. The Nile Festival this year features Mahmoud Ahmed and El Tanbura. It will take place in London at the Hammersmith Palais on April 27

4 parties in 4 venues over 3 days within a 500 meter radius to mark the launch of Bloom — including Fly favourites, Lautrec

The is the Best Music Event of the Year, according to the most prestigious Czech music award — the Andel / Angel (the Czech equivalent of the Grammy)

Gogol Bordello’s live shows have been called the greatest on earth. Stories of stage invasions, crowd surfing and bouncer-baiting are now legendary. The New York-Ukrainian punk band did not disappoint.

Chilli Fried nights feature the cream of dance sounds from around the world presented at three of London’s finest intimate venues: Darbucka in Clerkenwell (Chilli Fried North) and the Ritzy Cafe Bar in Brixton (Chilli Fried South) and now Café Bohemia is Hackney

In advance of the forthcoming European tour, Far Out Recordings have put Brazil’s top jazz-funkers together with the Brixton-based Spiritual South team for a remix to rival their ‘Jazz Room’ remix.

One of my favourite restaurants in London, Mosob serves delicious Eritrean food in a friendly, funky atmosphere and every month it has a party…

On Tuesday 7 Ma