African Music Concerts Monthly Summary for 2005

Temple Bar leads the charge with appearances by AfroBeat Down, djembe drummer Leon Mobley Kadiatou Sibi of Gambia, Me'shell Ndeg´ocello, Blay Ambolley from Ghana and Cameroonian bassist Armand Sebal-Lecco. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences brings a comedic movie from Burkina Faso called Tusuma.

Concert of the month pairs Vusi Mahlasela and Ladysmith Black Mambazo on the stage at UCLA's Royce Hall. The double header with movies about an asylum seeker from Ghana and emigrant orphans from Sudan. The Pan African Film Festival will satisfy the rest of your appetite for African movies.

Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona backs Mike Stern at Catalina's, Affro-muzika returns with Congolese soukous and the Gullah people of South Carolina are the subject of a stage play.

King Sunny Ade lights up Hollywood with juju music from Nigeria, Temple Bar starts with pure AfroBeat, hosts Guinean kora antics of Prince Diabaté and Ghanaian Highlife Jazz served up by Gyedu-Blay Ambolley in a double header, plus music from Gambia, and djembe drums. Nigerian reggae is part of an awards ceremony in Culver City.

Majek Fashek performs again before heading out on a national tour.