Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- Despite fears among many artists to travel abroad from the US at this time, recording artist Rasheed Ali will take time out from promoting his new CD, "Thunder in the Jungle," to make his first trip to Africa. Full text...

Nouakchott- Mauritania (PANA) -- Mauritanian authorities have postponed the 13-17 nomadic music festival to a later date due to the unfavourable international context, a source at the French Cultural Centre (CCF) said here Thursday. Full text...

Brussels- Belgium (PANA) -- Several musical groups from several central African countries will participate in a concert in Brussels Saturday to mark the beginning of African Week, organised at the initiative of Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel. Full text...

Praia- Cape Verde (PANA) -- Cape Verdean singer Cesaria Evora will feature in the new album "Gaie" by Australian band Midnight Oil, a source close to the artist's producer told PANA in Praia. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- "Djazair, the Year of Algeria in France" has been officially launched in Paris, with several Algerian and French personalities attending the opening ceremony. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Ivorian music star Alpha Blondy is to stage a big concert in Cotonou, Benin Saturday, organisers announced Friday. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Senegal is set to host the second edition of the International Festival of African Music, dubbed Africa Fête, 11-15 December, according to organisers of the continental event. Full text...

Algiers- Algeria (PANA) -- Algerian rai singer Cheb Mami has won the world Music Awardas the best Arabic language vocalist and the best disc seller in the Arab world. Full text...

Saint Denis- Reunion (PANA) -- Leading musical bands of five Indian Ocean island nations will Saturday take part in a joint concert on Nosy Be Island, north of Madagascar. Full text...

LUANDA- Angola (PANA) -- Several world music stars like Cisco, Tracy Chapman from the US, Britain's Sting and others from Africa and Latin America are expected to perform at a festival to mark the closure of the "Casa Blanca" yearly season in Luanda from 10-11 November. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Singer King Mensah, the 2000 Kora Music Award winner in the category of traditional music, said he gets his inspiration from Togolese and Beninese cultures to produce songs which are appreciated by both peoples. Full text...

Luanda- Angola (PANA) -- Guinea's Tabanka Djaz musical group arrived Wednesday in Luanda to stage various shows as part of the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos on 28 August. Full text...

Yaounde- Cameroon (PANA) -- The second International Jazz Festival is underway in Yaounde, the Cameroonian capital. Full text...

Saint Denis- Reunion (PANA) -- Reunion's band "Oussanoussava" which is popular because of its traditional "Sega" style leaves Saint Denis Sunday for a tour in Zimbabwe, musical sources disclosed in Saint Denis Thursday. Full text...

Johannesburg- South Africa (PANA) -- Mbongeni Ngema a renowned South African musician has defended racist lyrics on his new CD "Amandiya," saying he just wanted to provoke a race relations debate. Full text...

Ouagadougou- Burkina Faso (PANA) -- At least 100 musicians from seven countries are expected to perform during the 10th "Ouagadougou Jazz Festival" from 26 April to 4 May. Full text...

Khartoum- Sudan (PANA) -- Among Sudanese, the mention of Mohammed Wardi is like transmitting a signature tune on television or radio. Full text...

Blantyre- Malawi (PANA) -- A Presidential Commission of inquiry into the 26 November 2001 death in police custody of Malawi's reggae king, Evison Matafale, said Friday the singer died of "natural causes. Full text...

Johannesburg- South Africa (PANA) -- South Africa's best music group, Bongo Mufin, said their US tour would go ahead despite the deportation of "Appleseed" the band's Zimbabwean lead vocalist. Full text...

Addis Ababa- Ethiopia (PANA) -- Alliance Ethio-Francaise, the French and Canadian embassies in Ethiopia and the International Francophonie Organisation have announced a musical concert for 21 March in Addis Ababa, to feature Congolese musician Casimir Soba, Alias Zao. Full text...

Kinshasa- DR Congo (PANA) -- DR Congo's Wendo Kolosoy and Rumbanella music bands, plan a tour of Europe, America and Africa, to promote the Rumba (dance) across the world, organisers said in Kinshasa. Full text...

Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- Celebrated South African singer Miriam Makeba and Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina have been named this year's winners of the two-million kronor (190,000- dollar) Polar Music Prize. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- An international music festival is scheduled 17-27 January in Benin's main cities, said officials of the French Cultural Centre in Cotonou. Full text...

Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) -- Music promoters in Abidjan have lodged a complaint against Malian singer Salif Keita for "failure to honour a contract" to perform in the Ivorian capital in December. Full text...

Algiers- Algeria (PANA) -- The national symphonic orchestra of Algeria, led by Amine Kouider who was recently appointed a UNESCO "artist for peace", Wednesday performed a concert of universal classical music at the national Algerian theatre in Algiers. Full text...

Saint Denis- Reunion (PANA) -- Ziskakan musical group's 11th album titled "Rimayer" has been released this week in Reunion, reports the sub-regional agency (MATERA). Full text...

Blantyre- Malawi (PANA) -- Malawi's reggae musician, Evison Matafale, 32, who died Tuesday in police custody was buried Wednesday at Chileka near Blantyre at a funeral attended by some 10,000 people from all walks of life. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Volume 2 of a compilation of songs by old Benin music celebrities would be officially launched on 24 November, according the initiator of the project, Jean Luc Akplogan. Full text...

Cape Town- South Africa (PANA) -- A total of 15 music categories would be recognised when Sun City hosts the 6th annual Kora All- Africa Music Awards on Saturday, and one international figure will join an illustrious group of leaders awarded for their lifetime achievements. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Benin's representative in the 2001 Kora Awards to be held in Sun City, South Africa, singer Albert Bessanvi alias Gbessi Zolawadji, has received a government grant of 700 million CFA francs (over 900 thousand US dollars). Full text...

Ouagadougou- Burkina Faso (PANA) -- Top African musicians would on 8 December stage a concert in Ouagadougou, the proceeds of which would be used to in the fight against HIV/AIDS, sources said. Full text...

Windhoek- Namibia (PANA) -- Rokia Traore, the young musical sensation from Mali, is to perform in Namibia 31 October at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) as part of her tour of Southern African and the Indian Ocean regions. Full text...

Johannesburg- South Africa (PANA) -- Sun City celebrates its African essence by hosting Kora Awards for music of African origin, which is expected to reach 389 million television viewers worldwide. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- The second international jazz festival of Tangier will start on Friday and be held until 21 September in this seaport city on the Straits of Gibraltar. Full text...

NaAIROBI- Kenya (PANA) -- Congolese musician Werra Son and his Wenge Musica troupe are stranded in Nairobi owing to non-payment of 92,000 Kenyan shillings (about 1,180 US dollars) in visa fees. Full text...

Brazzaville- Congo (PANA) -- The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has urged African countries to set up and enforce mechanisms for protecting royalties due the continent's artists. Full text...

Abidjan- Côte d'Ivoire (PANA) -- Ivorian reggae star Ismael Isaac, who sold more than 225,000 copies of his latest album "Black System," goes on stage Saturday for the first time at Abidjan's Hotel Ivoire. Full text...

Brazzaville- Congo (PANA) -- About 20 countries from Africa and the Diaspora would take part in the 3rd Pan-African Music Festival (FESPAM) 4-11 August in Brazzaville and Kinshasa, the organisers said early this week. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- Morocco's third International Lute Festival will be held from 18 to 21 July in the northern Moroccan town of Tetouan. Full text...

Windhoek- Namibia (PANA) -- Local musicians on Thursday reached a milestone when their newly-launched Namibia Music Industry Union (NAMIU) became the 10th affiliate of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW). Full text...

Banjul- Gambia (PANA) -- Famara works on another album for Gambia Thomi Nikles, the Swiss reggae sensation who took Gambia as his African music roots, is set to present the Smiling Coast with a second album. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- The seventh edition of the World Festival of Sacred Music, which opened last Saturday in Fes, will end on June. Full text...

Rabat- Morocco (PANA) -- The 37th edition of the National Popular Arts Festival (FNAP) will be held from 6 to 15 June in the southern Moroccan city of Marrakech on the theme: "Les Chants de l'Atlas" (Atlas Songs). Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Benin's music group Afrik'Uny is in Libreville, Gabon taking part in the festival of cultures that rolled off at the weekend, sources close to the band said. Full text...

Louisiana- United States (PANA) -- Senegalese music group, the Touré Kunda, was triumphantly acclaimed by thousands of people during its performance at the international Louisiana festival in the south of the United States. Full text...

Saint Louis- Senegal (PANA) -- Famous jazz musicians have begun streaming into Senegal to participate in the ninth edition of the Saint Louis International Jazz Festival slated for 9 to 12 May, media sources said Thursday. Full text...