A giant of African music returns: Papa Wemba was one of the founding members of Zaiko LangaLanga back in 1969. This band went on to become one of the most popular bands in Congo, and has been instrumental in the shaping of Congolese music. Papa Wemba split from the band to perform with Viva La Musica and after a long hiatus is back with renewed energy and a new album: Notre Père Wemba Dyo.

[Papa Wemba on Youtube]

FATOUMATA DIAWARA

A multi-talented star from Mali. Fatoumata Diawara has found success as a dancer, a writer, an actress (starring in the wonderful La Génèse by Cheick Oumar Sissoko) and as a musician. She has recorded with numerous great artists, including Oumou Sangare and now Fatoumata Diawara composes, arranges and performs her own music, blending Wassoulou traditions with international influences. Her debut album is forthcoming in 2011.

[Myspace]

LES ESPOIRS DE CORONTHIE

A 14-piece Guinean band delivering an alternative take on 'Authenticité' in the style of true griots. Les Espoirs de Coronthie play the traditional music of their roots with lyrics that focus on the present day and contemporary issues, making them hugely popular in their native Guinea.

[Myspace]

DJ TUDO

Brazilian DJ Tudo is a musician, producer, recorder, researcher... that's why the call him DJ 'everything'. DJ Tudo mixes up the old and the new, layering field recordings of traditional music (that he records himself) with dub, funk and electronica.

[Myspace]

CHULA SAMBA DE SAO BRAZ

Led by two brothers in their 80s, Joao and Antonio Saturno, Chula Samba de Sao Braz play the roots of Brazilian samba, and have been doing so for decades. Chula Samba is part of the foundation for much of Brazil's musical output, yet this key style is in danger of disappearing.

[Website]

KAMEL EL HARRACHI

Son of Dahmane El Harrachi, a massive star in the Arab world, Kamel continues in his father's footsteps and continues with the tradition of Chaabi music of Algeria. While this style of music is not as well known as Rai internationally, Kamel describes Chaabi as the true popular music of Algeria.

[Kamel El Harrachi on Youtube]

TUMI AND THE VOLUME

South African Tumi and the Volume are fast becoming one of the country's most popular musicalexports. Wordsmith Tumi Molekane was already well-known in Jo'burg's hip hop scene when hecreated a concept band, the Volume, to pioneer a new approach to performing hip hop: mixing upbeat poetry, hip hop, funk and jazz.

[Website]

CONGOTRONICS

The Congotronics series is devoted to the strange and spectacular electro-traditional mixtures which are being concocted in the suburbs of Kinshasa, Congo.

[Website]

MAJID BEKKAS

Bekkas embarked on his musical career in 1972 playing banjo in Moroccan “Jil” groups rather like the traditional outfit Nass El Ghiwane. Over the years, the master Ba Houmane, in Salé, initiated him into Gnawa music. He then studied classical guitar and oud at the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Rabat, where he later taught classical guitar.

In parallel, Majid was delving deeper into Blues and Soul, playing in his own group in the eighties as a guitarist, keyboard player and singer. In the nineties, he created the Gnaoua Blues Band, splitting his time between compositions, recordings and touring.

[Majid Bekkas on Youtube]