Guardian Music — The Very Best's second album is a joyous record – have a listen before it's released and let us know your thoughtsReading on mobile? Click here to listenIt's been three years since we fell in love with the Very Best's debut album Warm Heart of Afri... more info

KEXP Seattle — Malian duo Amadou & Mariam (Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia) have an impeccable talent for tapping into the most current and fascinating sounds in music whenever they record a new album. In 2003, they tapped red-hot artist Manu Chao to produce the... more info

Guardian Music — The Back2Black festival, brought over from Rio de Janeiro to a spectacular new venue in London, was a celebration of the links between Brazil's black culture and Africa. Here you can see the great Gilberto Gil and others discussing the meaning of the... more info

Guardian Music — Old Billingsgate, LondonIn Rio, this annual celebration of the links between Brazil's black culture and Africa is held in a grand disused railway station. In London, the Back2Black festival took over Old Billingsgate, the enormous one-time fish mark... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — The Very Best at SXSW 2010 (more by Andrew Frisicano) The Very Best are set to release their new album, MTMTMK on July 16 via Moshi Moshi. It features guest appearances from Amadou and Mariam, Baaba Maal and K'naan. You... more info

Guardian Music — Listen to a Spotify playlist of the best tunes of the year so far, as picked by the Guardian music teamThe barely scientific exercise that's compiling a list of the 20 best albums of 2012 to date has already been completed. But that run-down only scr... more info

Guardian Music — The Mali muscians Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia have been playing together since 1983. Their music mixes traditional Mali sounds with modern rock, as well as inspirations from Middle Eastern, Caribbean and Indian music more info

Guardian Music — Watch 'the blind couple of Mali', Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia, perform at A Room for London between 6pm-6.45pm BST on Wednesday 23 May more info

Guardian Music — The famous 'blind couple of Mali' are playing a very special gig in London which you can watch live on this site on 23 MayIt was in west Africa that Amadou and Mariam first became known as "the blind couple of Mali", but now the husband-and-wife duo ... more info

Guardian Music — Natty rapper Roots Manuva has just been announced to headline the Sunday night of the Larmer Tree Festival (11-15 Jul, Larmer Tree Gardens, nr Salisbury), joining Paloma Faith, Amadou & Mariam, Jools Holland and, er, Levellers ...Roots also joins Too... more info