Profoundly sad news about the passing of a friend to the music and for the lucky few a friend in person

The Big Dada office was a bit quite on Thursday as the surprise winner on this years’ Mercury prize was their very own Speech Debelle.

To celebrate the fourth anniversary of the Vortex’s move to Dalston, a new membership scheme has been launched. It aims to provide an opportunity for members of the public to play a more active role in the Vortex community so that both they and the venue can benefit from a closer relationship

A mere 20 years older than Motown, the world’s other greatest independent record label hit it’s 70th Anniversary yeaterday and 2009 see some special events to mark this special year; happy birthday Blue Note Records.

Between The Ears, BBC Radio 3’s innovative radio features series returned on 22 November 2008 for a brand new season of “challenging and unique programmes” and next Saturday celebrates the seminal record store, Mole Jazz.

Miriam was one of the 20th Century’s most extraordinary women. A musical giant, a campaigner and someone whose life was inextricably linked to the fight against Apartheid and for the civil rights movement and African liberation

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

Swedish pianist and composer Esbjörn Svensson died in a diving accident on Saturday June 14, 2008 aged 44. Our thoughts are with his mourning wife and children and his long time musical associates Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström

In our continuing series on the end of the independent record store, if you’re in Soho getting your vinyl fix, check out the photo exhibition by Spencer Murphy.

Voting has opened for the 2008 BBC Jazz Awards once again celebrating the best of British jazz

On Saturday, 19th April, 2008, hundreds of independently owned music stores on two continents will celebrate “Record Store Day.”

The Red Bull Music Academy has established itself as one of the most unique projects in music. Over the last ten years it has taken place in Cape Town, New York, Berlin, Dublin, London, Sao Paulo, Rome, Seattle, Melbourne and Toronto

GCap Media is to close TheJazz after deciding to pull out of DAB radio

Pete Lawrence, the co-founder of The Big Chill, has resigned as a director and shareholder after fourteen years with the organisation

Following news of Belizian Garifuna musician Andy Palacio’s sudden illness, Fly is saddened and shocked to report his death

Goodbye flyglobalmusic.com and hello flyglobalmusic.com

Upbeat Nigerian R&B sensation D’Banj, Kenyan underground hip hop king Jua Cali, Ghanaian Dancehall king Samini and HHP, South Africa’s hottest hip-hop MC, fly into Munich, Germany this week to participate in the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards, which takes place at Munich’s OlympiaHalle Thursday 1st November

We are saddened to announce that legendary South African reggae artist Lucky Dube was gunned down in Johannesburg on Thursday, 18 October 2007

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

The Nominees for the BBC Jazz Awards 2007 were announced last night (Thursday 7th June) at an event hosted by BBC Radio 2 and 3 at the newly refurbished BBC Radio Theatre at Broadcasting House to celebrate the launch of this year’s BBC Jazz Awards

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)

The leading hip hop Palestinian hip hop band DAM, Red Circle records and their UK agent are looking for an intern / trainee from May 15th until the end of July to work on the promotion of DAM for their summer concerts in the UK

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

Ethiopian music colossus Mahmoud Ahmed has won the highly coveted Africa award but who else picks up a gong? Read on…

Fly’s multimedia galaxy has two shiny new stars in it: two dedicated shops for buying CDs, DVDs and books with Amazon’s cheap prices

Africa Beyond casts its net right across the African continent to illustrate the diverse and complex cultures of the 54 African nations and the Diaspora

Are changes to the law threatening the future of live music in England’s pubs and bars?

There is a campaign afoot to enoble this mighty old jazz warhorse, so read on and find out how to help…

We wish you very happy holidays and invite you to join us as we take a look back over the last year. And what a year for music and what a year for Fly 2006 has been

James Brown, Soul Brother Number One, has died in Atlanta of pneumonia

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

Ali Farka Touré’s album Savane has been nominated for a GRAMMY, for the fourth time in his career. The 49th GRAMMY Awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday 11th February 2007 at the Staples Centre, Los Angeles, and will be broadcast worldwide

Digby Fairweather celebrates the news that the operators of Classic FM have secured a license to cast their magic on jazz for a new DAB radio station due to start broadcasting this Christmas — some of our readers are more circumspect though

Some great news for fans of jazz in the UK, it would appear that the people who turned classical music into something people actually wanted to listen to are about to take up the option for a national jazz station on digital radio

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

African music fans are gearing up to learn the result of the Best African Act at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark on Thursday 2 November

Kwaito star Lebo Masotha, just 29, has died in a tragic car crash according to her manager. The singer died at the scene of the accident while the driver escaped serious harm

Although we risk being bought out for billions of dollars, we have launched a beta version of a new service allowing users to watch videos of global music and for artists and labels to upload their own videos

Lion Head Recordings will be home to all future sounds out of Bigga’s studio, including limited edition funk, Afro and reggae 7”s and 10”s. Sounds like an Acid Fly version of Wah Wah 45s (and that can’t be bad thing)

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

The death of Rufus Harley has been widely reported — which would have probably surprised him somewhat. Gerry Hectic plays homage to the man that brought the bagpipe to jazz and casts an ear on his final album Sustain

MOBO award winners and nominations in full. Congratulations to all concerned. Bring back the jazz category next year though…

Ghana’s “Rain God” Batman Samini yesterday lifted the MOBO award for “Best African Act”

Batman Samini is one of Ghana’s biggest stars. His sound is a hybrid of old school highlife, dancehall and hip hop, which some journalists have tagged raglife, but which the man himself refuses to classify

Jazz Radio UK is a pressure group formed to lobby for more jazz on the radio in the UK. They have just launched a survey online, giving you the chance to register your views

We are shocked and saddened to announce the death of the great Cuban conga player Miguel ‘Angá’ Díaz who died unexpectedly at his home in Barcelona on 9th August 2006, he was 45.

Fun Da Mental album All Is War (the benefits of g-had) has officially been launched through digital download via their own web site exclusively on Monday 7th of August 2006

On 1st August 2006, Ghanaian music will officially enter the digital age thanks to Zongo Junction. On that day, 13 of the most recent albums from top Ghanaian stars like Kwabena Kwabena, Batman and Obour will be released for download on iTunes, CalabashMusic.com, Napster, Rhapsody and all other major music download stores worldwide

The line up for 2006.

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.

Janine Irons, Managing Director/ CEO of The Dune Music Company Ltd and Tomorrow’s Warriors Ltd has been awarded an MBE for Services to the Music Industry in Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours

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

Wychwood has become essential: artists, members of the public and everyone else is having such a blast that it is now a definite fixture on the festval scene. Read our report and get the pics…

The situation in Kidal in the north east of Mali is still very tense following attacks on two army barracks on the morning of Tuesday 24th May. An armoured division of the Malian army sent north from Gao have taken control of the town and the rebel group have retreated north to a base hidden in the mountains

X Plastaz recently announced the tragic news that one of the group Nelson Rutter aka Faza Nelly was killed in March. It’s been a time of great sadness and uncertainty for the group and their families

Most people interested in what African hip hop is up to will have come across the website www.africanhiphop.com and J4, the brains behind it. The site has featured the Rumba-Kali webcast since way back in 1998.

We took a snapshot of the readers of Fly in March 2006 and found that we have people from 153 different territories coming to www.flyglobalmusic.com. Global Music Culture does not get much more global than this.

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

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.

Ivor Cutler, poet, storyteller, cartoonist, painter, eccentric and performer died earlier this month aged 83.

Ali Farka Toure was awarded Mali’s highest civil honor on Wednesday as a dense storm of sand and dust delayed his funeral in Niafunke, his Saharan hometown.

We are deeply saddened to announce that the legendary Malian musician Ali Farka Touré passed away in his sleep at home in Mali on March 6th 2006, he had bone cancer.

Youth and music channel MTV base (DStv Channel 88) is launching a lively new TV series which aims to get young Africans talking candidly about common issues which all young people have to face as part of growing up.

On Thursday 2nd March Sir John Dankworth became the first jazz musician to receive a knighthood

On Saturday 25th February at 3pm the winners of the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music 2006 were announced on Radio 3’s World Routes, transmitted from London’s Bar Darbucka

Message boards all over the Internet have been full of messages of love for James Yancey who was better known as Jay Dee and J Dilla.

Africa’s Hottest Musicians to turn up the temperature on ‘Global Warming’

Major new commissioning scheme and New Producers Network launched to give the opportunity for an innovative new music project to be created, developed and performed by three key arts organisations in the South East

Soul legend Wilson Pickett died aged 64 after suffering a heart attack in Virginia. Pickett had a string of hits including ‘In The Midnight Hour’ and ‘Mustang Sally’.

Bi Kidude receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s World Music Expo (WOMEX)

The BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music celebrate their fifth birthday with a dazzling set of nominations ranging from African pop sensation Amadou & Mariam to Mercury-nominated M.I.A. World Music greats including Salif Keita, Ali Farka Toure and Ry Cooder are also represented, alongside newcomers like Lura and Konono No 1

Blues guitarist and singer/songwriter Chris Whitley died of lung cancer this Sunday in Texas at the young age of 45.

Despite José Antonio Rodríguez’s diminutive size, he had a huge voice and was affectionately known in his native Cuba as ‘El Pequeño Gran Sonero’. His death, aged just 52, is a shock to many and a loss to all.

The ‘Going Live’ event at Stratford Circus on Saturday 19th November 2005 featuring Sway, Tor, Fumin, JME & Skepta and more has regrettably had to be cancelled for security reasons

JJC has been busy lately fronting a four part series on African hip hop and doing his regular Africa on Your Street gig

Musicians and smaller venues alike are struggling in the UK. This new group has been set up to lobby on their behalf…

Courtney Pine, who released his 11th studio album Resistance last week, has picked up the award for Best Jazz Act at the 3rd annual Urban Music Awards

Courtney Pine, who released his 11th studio album Resistance last week, has picked up the award for Best Jazz Act at the 3rd annual Urban Music Awards

Here we go again with the Best of the Year nominations for Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards ‘05!

It’s official - Nigerian 2-Face Idibia tonight made music history by becoming the first artist to win the Best African Act award at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards in Lisbon. The award was created in 2005 to mark the addition of MTV base, MTV’s pan-African TV channel, to the MTV global television family

The news that a specialist jazz emporium is closing down is not surprising news these days but for anyone that has enjoyed spending hours flicking through the albums, CDs, cassettes, books, magazines or just hanging out listening to the staff’s choice on the Hi-Fi, it’s a sad start to November

The nominees for the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music 2006 were announced at WOMEX yesterday

Artists from around the world were represented in a series of evening gigs but it was fitting in the dying embers of Africa 05 that musicians from the continent stole the shows. Among the best shows were those from Atongo Zimba, Nuru Kane, Jagwa Music, Julien Jacob, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Thandiswa and Fly friends DJs Sarr and Soul (The Afropean Allstars)

More than a hundred top musicians, teachers, students and music professionals, have contributed to SoundJunction, a pioneering new website that gives young people the opportunity to explore, discover and create music

We asked you who is/was Africa’s greatest internationally known musician? Over 150 of you responded and here are the results…

The UN and conscious artists join forces to support hip hop and the ghetto youth

World Music Network is set to join Calabash in offering global music downloads from next year. With iTunes provision still patchy in this area of music, they are responding to a clear gap in the market

Recorded in New York in September 2005, the podcast features hip hop innovator Common in conversation with legendary DJ Gilles Peterson, who were brought together to discuss great musical collaborations

As many have commented, the great man himself would have probably cringed at the notion of a ‘John Peel Day’, but that’s what the BBC have been promoting.

The Wychwood Music Festival which delighted music fans for the first time this June at Cheltenham Racecourse, has been nominated for two UK Festival Awards awards. In the categories of Best New Festival and Best Family Festival.

After getting off to a storming start, Wychwood will be back next year, in fact, they have already selected the dates and there are extra cheap ticket prices for people buying before the end of September 2005 but hurry only a few days left!

Family, friends and fans of Neil Ardley met on Tuesday, 26th July at St. Paul’s Parish Church to celebrate the life and achievements of a true polymath who enjoyed life to the full.

Showing that beats with roots are going from strength to strength, Fly congratulates the following DJs…

Thanks to all those who have enquired about Fly following the bombings in London, where our HQ is. We are all well and like the rest of London we go on unbowed and unbroken

Full on Latin attitude comes to Somerset House with what for many will be the highlight of the whole summer season. Orishas and Los Lobos make a powerful double bill for this open-air event. Fly has given away a pair of tickets

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY announced a stunning line up of international voices that will address and lead the tens of thousands of people expected to take part in the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY rally in The Meadows, Edinburgh on Saturday 2nd July

It has just been confirmed that African superstars Oumou Sangare and Orchestra Baobab are both to appear at the Live 8 concert at the Mary Fitzgerald Square, Johannesburg, South Africa on July 2nd. They join Salif Keita, who was due to play at the Eden project originally.

Music fans who want to be part of the historic Live 8 event are being given extra time to enter the competition for tickets to Live 8 Africa Calling at the Eden Project, in Cornwall

In what is becoming a bit of an unwelcome tradition for Glastonbury, the mud is knee deep and many of the stages were closed on the first morning but the show has gone on…

Spokesman, ambassador, campaigner and Senegalese Superstar Baaba Maal headlines at Glastonbury 25/6/05 and the BBC Proms 13/8/05

The Eden Project is to stage a major Live8 concert on July 2nd under the banner of “Africa Calling” featuring Angelique Kidjo and Tinariwen.

The line up for the North Sea Jazz Festival was announced last week. It's a big year for the festival as it's the 30th Anniversary and the last year it's being held at The Hague before moving to Rotterdam.

The most important date in the jazz community diary is looming -- and to whet your beatnik appetite, the BBC have announced the stars in the running for the coveted gongs...

We have a pair of tickets to give away in your soaraway Fly! But be swift and decisive if you want to spend a lazy weekend hanging with some of the best musicians in the world...

WOMAD Festival in Rivermead on the outskirts of Reading will be from 29-31 July 2005. Headline acts include Youssou N'Dour et le Super Etoile de Dakar, Amadou & Mariam, Chango Spasiuk and Robert Plant.

Just a quick note to say, check out the amazing line-up for the new Wychwood Festival in June... Anga Diaz, Radio Tarifa and Mory Kante are just some of the names that have grabbed our attention

The cream of British jazz are performing a unique benefit to fund research into the misunderstood and debilitating disease: M.E.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport is conducting a review into how to improve the live music scene in the UK. From speaking to promoters of bands who can get gigs everywhere in Europe except here, I know this is an issue of particular concern to anyone involved with staging concerts with artists from abroad.

The winners have been announced. The poll winners concert is on March 5 at the Sage in Gateshead and of course there is a compilation CD featuring tracks by all the nominees and winners.

Jazz FM has finally decided to let its name follow the trend of its programming over the last few years and call itself Smooth FM. John L. Walters in The Guardian laments the loss at a time when jazz and music from other cultures are gleefully colliding and making great new sounds possible.

Following Jamelia, Bob Geldof, Frititi and the head of Oxfam, the man Bob Geldof calls the 'President of the World' gave a call to arms for the world to end poverty.

Wear our distinctive logo with pride to show you are a global music culture activist.

Want to keep up to date with the latest competitions, features, reviews and events from Fly? That's easy.

Mali continues its takeover of the world of traditional music by adding the Fly-sponsored Festival on the Niger to its famous northern cousin the Festival in the Desert. We speak to the organisers and we reveal a stunning line-up (now finalised).

Competition now closed. Winners will be announced on this page shortly and a new competition is being prepared.

This year the world turns its attention to Africa and in return Africa will show the world its diversity and cultural wealth. Africa 2005 is a programme of events designed to tell the other side of the African story. Fly is proud to be a media sponsor.

This is the 9th year that Africa, its diaspora and anyone serious about African music have been audience to the Kora Awards. The 2004 awards ceremony took place in South Africa in early December and is a glamorous gathering of musicians, industry-people, promoters and all those involved in the continental music industry.

Like everyone else, we at Fly have been deeply saddened by the terrible events that were set off by the tremors in the Indian Ocean. Asia has clearly taken the worst of the effects but we also spare a thought for those on the Eastern seaboard of Africa who have largely been forgotten.

"I did all you can do with a clarinet. Any more would have been less."

The winners have been announced for Gilles' best of the year round up.

Having spent the best part of his twenties playing in bands all over the capital, drummer Brian Hedemann fuses his experience in hip hop, jazz, drum n'bass and garage to finally realise his own musical vision.

John Peel, OBE.
Born 30.08.1939, died of a heart attack on 25th October 2004 in Peru.
Aged 65

Find out who won a copy of the double CD and DVD Fela box set being released on Wrasse Records and the two runners up who receive copies of Fela Kuti - The Underground Spiritual Game - Mixed by Chief Xcel...

They are frighteningly clever, they are multimedia, they are Mexican and they are over here (as long as you are in London). Meet Manas -- Avant Gardists with Latin Spirit

The doors are locked, the fuse is lit! Bring some Joy into your life at the London Jazz Fringe Festival

First in a series of profiles to prepare you for November's London Jazz Fringe Festival at the Ritzy. Lautrec frontman Ed Simpson tells us about his band and how he decided to start a festival one day.

Following the success of the 2004 inaugural Unsigned Performers Competition, Glastonbury Festival offers further opportunities for new bands and artistes to grace the fields of Worthy Farm in 2005

Fela heaven is over now! Respect to everyone who put it together.

Fly is proud to sponsor The First London Jazz Fringe Festival. Today is the last day so get down to see Joy if you can. The venue is The Ritzy CafÈ, Brixton (just above the Cinema). All week it has been buzzing and there have been some great acts so far.

A thought-provoking article recently appeared in the Independent newspaper (UK) featuring an interview with Congolese superstar Papa Wemba. He is in trouble with the Belgian and French authorities after numerous instances involving dancers going missing on international trips and accusations that he was personally involved in profiting from people smuggling.

May 28th to June 5th 2004 - 10th edition Traces of Light Fantastic line up including the don himself, Youssou N'Dour.

Elite Force returns tonight 27 May on breaksfm.com for another massive 2-hour
throwdown.

Ubiquity Records will have several of their artists performing this weekend at the official Movement Festival in Hart Plaza in Detroit, as well as several after-party events. At the bottom of the page is a list of all the acts including non Ubiquity artists and a link to the Movement website.

Somethiní else is to bring back to Radio 2 the fourth series of Soul Solutions with Mica Paris.

Never Never Land: UNKLE Design Show. The ICA in London pays tribute to the design innovators behind Mo' Wax and UNKLE with a show featuring work by graffiti artist Futura and photos by William Bankhead.

Now with a new format, new team and dedicating itself to be the essential companion to the global groove set, comes Fly. Welcome to the beginning of many new adventures in global musical culture.