Ahhh! Summer is here. And with the sunny weather and warm breezes comes a cornicopia of summertime festivals. Our yearly program "Summer Concert Previews" Afropop World wide features a sampling of the hottest world music acts touring this season.

These are the concerts that we Afropoppers plan our summers around. Check out our full tour listings for hot tickets in your area. Here's a summar of acts we're especially looking forward to seeing:

HEADLINERS

Salif Keita (Mali)
Recorded in 1980, The Lost Album (Syllart/Cantos) of Salif Keïta & Kanté Manfila is scheduled for release on June 27, 2006. Coined as one of Salif's earliest and most expressionist works, fans of this Malian guitarist will be pleasantly enthralled with it's release and subsquent tour. Listen to music samples of The Lost Album on Calabash Music.

Baaba Maal (Senegal)
One of the most powerful singers anywhere in the world, Senegal's Baaba Maal is both a pop phenomenon and a master of many styles of traditional music. Check out his performance on the "Africa Live: Roll Back Malaria" DVD. Visit: www.baabamaal.tv

Seu Jorge (Brazil)
Seu Jorge comes from the outskirts and hits us directly in the soul. Seu's style of acoustic guitar, rootsy accompaniment, and socially relevant lyrics have been a favorite of concert goers since the debut of his album Cru.

Vusi Mahleasela (South Africa)
Vusi Mahalasela is best summized as "The Voice" of South Africa. Introduced to American audiences from a performance on the soundtrack for Amandla, Vusi is now set to sway to ears of world music fans in North America with this tour. Learn more about this artist at: www.vusimahlasela.com

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

Central Park SummerStage
We've got the full scoup on this year's line up for SummerStage, which includes such stellar acts as Antibalas, Seu Jorge, Hakim, Amadou & Mariam...and so many more!

Get to know these SummerStage Artists...

Chris Berry & Pangea
Native Californian Chris Berry ran away to Africa at the age of 18, became a mbira master, and started a band that continues to pack stadiums in Southern Africa. Catch his mix of traditional music, dancehall reggae and hip-hop this summer as Berry returns to the US.

Check out Chris Berry & Panjea's latest release Dancemakers (Wrasse). Listen out for "Home," which stylistically throws a musical nod to Thomas Mapfumo.

Emeline Michel
Modern Haitian song queen having played throughout the Caribbean, Europe, North & South America, and Africa, Emeline was hailed as the "new goddess of Creole Music" after her success in the Caribbean. Emeline Michel will rock your socks this summer! Visit her site: http://emelinemichel.homestead.com/Home.html

Lenine
We became reaquainted with this Northeastern Brazilian singer-songwriter at the 2005 Porto Musical Conference in Recife, Brazil. With his husky voice and irresistible blend of MPB, rock, hip-hop, and traditional music, Lenine has been a favorite for sometime in Europe and Latin American audiences. Coupled with his appearence at the 2006 South By Southwest Festival and tour dates this summer, America will too, be swayed by Lenine (Six Degrees).

TELL US YOUR 'SUMMERSTAGE STORY'

What artists especially moved you? What concert changed your life? What artist levitated you? Helped you transcend your personal travails? Did you meet someone there you fell in love with? Was your child conceived in the after glow of a SummerStage concert? It's all good. Send us your SummerStage story. We'll post the best of the best. The prizes...

Three lucky winners will get an Afropop Summer Hot Picks set of CDs and/or DVDs.
And one lucky winner will get an iPod loaded with Afropop hits.

Send us your story (photos add luster) to: info@afropop.org with the subject "SummerStage story"

Celebrate Brooklyn
Our favorite venue in Brooklyn for summer time concerts is Celebrate Brooklyn located at the Prospect Park Bandshell. This season has a LOT to offer, for starters...

July 1st at 7:00 PM:
Angelique Kidjo, Vusi Mahlasela & more!
As part of Celebrate Brooklyn's Celebrate South Africa! series...join Angelique Kidjo & Vusi Mahlasela for a tribute to Brenda Fassi and Miriam Makeba.

August 5th at 2:00 PM:
Kékélé, Lágbájá & more!
West Africa unities for this celebration of Afican music, food and culture spotlighting the musical offerings of Congo's Kékélé, Lágbájá from Nigeria, hip hop with the African Underground AllStars featuring Sierra Leone's Chosan.

Concert of Colors
Back in Detroit for the annual Concert of Colors Diversity Music Concert series. Two new developments: this year the concert takes place indoors at Detroit's newest performance venue the Max Fisher Music Center, and... kicking off the festivities on July 14th will be the Afropop Worldwide Kickoff Party with George Collinet & Sean Barlow aka "Prince Segue Segue"! Don't forget to see...

July 15th:
Daara J, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Tumbao Bravo

July 16th:
Jaliya (Cheik Hamala Diabate)

Stay tuned for Afropop Worldwide's2006 Concert of Colors coverage on-air August 17, 2006!

Grand Performances
Grand Performances is Southern California's largest presenter of free performing arts programs established with a primary focus on bringing together the diverse peoples of Los Angeles, in unique settings, for concerts celebrating the cultural contributions of our community's peoples. Based at California Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles Grand Performances was created to insure that artists and other citizens of Los Angeles who had not been able to participate fully in the cultural life of the community would have access to a "world class" venue and program. Here's the Afropop highlights:

7/2: Emeline Michel & Sara Tavares
7/7: Kékélé
7/8: Ska Cubano
7/23: Simon Shaheen
7/28: Daara J & daKAH Hip Hop Orchestra

Stern Grove
Always more to see and do for the Bay Area's most exciting outdoor concert series...

6/18: Seu Jorge & Aimee Mann
6/25: Amadou & Mariam
7/2: Rebirth Brass Band
8/6: Spanish Harlem Orchestra with Ska Cubano

For more...see our listings of Tours & World Music Festivals. Let us know what we've missed. Have a festival tip you'd like added, send it to us at info@afropop.org. Additional concert listings provided by rock paper scissors.

So get out there and get HIP DEEP with music!

First published: www.afropop.org