On an initiative by the national cultural institutes of the European Union EUNIC, a benefit concert for Haiti will take place on February 9th at 19:00 h at Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin. In collaboration with the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, EUNIC is presenting four artists from four countries, including the Haitian-born Karlex Antoine and Spain's Gerardo Núñez, one of the greatest guitarists in the world. The proceeds of the benefit concert go directly to international aid organization Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e.V. (German Agro Action)
 
 Gerardo Núñez is one of the great flamenco guitarists of our time. His dexterity and his eclectic tastes span a wide spectrum from the passion of flamenco to the complexity of jazz. Dancer and choreographer Carmen Cortés is a flamenco dance sensation in her own right.

Special guest Danay, flying direct from Cuba, will perform at this year’s Worldwide Music Awards on Saturday, February 6th of 2010. She is presented by Havana Cultura. Gilles Peterson discovered Danay when he recently teamed up with Havana Cultura to produce an album of what he considers to be the very best up and coming musical talent in Havana.

Danay is a 24 year-old who has already drawn comparisons with the likes of Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. Havana Cultura is a global art initiative from Havana Club rum, a window on contemporary Cuban culture developed to give the spirit of Havana a global voice.

Korea's Noreum Machi ensemble will perform Saturday, February 6th of 2010 at 8:00 pm at Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York. The group has been noted for its performances of the dynamic samulnori percussion music that has captivated audiences throughout the world over the past three decades. An exhilarating modern adaptation of the ancient p'ungmul nori harvest celebration, samulnori represents the soul of Korea.

Noreum Machi is led by Kim Ju Hong, who studied singing, shaman rhythms and pansori vocals with masters of their genres, including Kim Duk Soo, an original member of the renowned Samul-Nori ensemble that introduced samulnori to the West in the late 1970s.

Berklee College of Music will present its Second Annual Middle Eastern Festival on Monday, February 8, featuring world-renowned Turkish clarinet virtuoso Hüsnü Senlendirici, the New York Gypsy All-Stars, and the Berklee Middle Eastern Fusion Ensemble directed by Christiane Karam. The concert showcases a variety of Middle Eastern styles, including Lebanese folk music, Arabic classical music, and Turkish Gypsy fusion – a style based on traditional Turkish music, mixed with contemporary jazz and western grooves and harmonies.
 
 Leading up to the concert, Senlendirici and the New York Gypsy All-Stars will work with Berklee students as part of an artist residency that includes a master class and clinic. The clinic, which is free and open to the public, takes place Monday, February 8, 1:15-3:00 p.m. at Berk Recital Hall, 1140 Boylston St, Boston, MA.

Some of the finest African artists will be performing at the 2010 edition of the Spring Festival of African Music at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. Performances will be held at Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall, The Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.

Program:

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Saturday, February 13, 2010
4pm & 8pm
$45 General Public / $43 Old Town School Members / $41 Seniors & Children
FREE Screening of Bela Fleck's "Throw Down Your Heart" @ 6:30pm

Roskilde Festival in Denmark announced the world music acts that are scheduled to perform in he 2010 edition of the festival. Roskilde Festival will be held 1 - 4 July 2010. Warm-up from 27 June at 8:00. 
 
 Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar (Serbia) has been hailed as one of the best players in Eastern European music – at least since they recorded the soundtrack to the Kusturica film Underground. Today, the great musician and trumpet player has brought junior to the helm. Father and son front an orchestra that leaves the listener dizzy in a cloud of brandy, brass, gaudy tone colours and high tempos.

In response to the recent devastating earthquakes to hit Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas, KCRW Public Radio Station presents and the historic El Rey Theatre hosts a Haiti Relief Concert on Saturday, February 6th in Los Angeles. Ticket proceeds from this night will be donated to Operation USA's Haiti relief efforts.
 
 The worldly line-up on what would have been Bob Marley 's 65th birthday includes ska/rocksteady revivalists Hepcat; Cambodian-American indie-rock/world music band Dengue Fever; a very special set by veteran bassist Joey Altruda’s Crucial Riddims & Reggae Greats Revue featuring Wailing Souls, Elan, Eljai and special guests; cumbia band Very Be Careful; all-star reggae group The Lions; experimental rock outfit The Tuffingtons; Echodelic Soundsystem; and DJ Miles Perlich. The evening will be hosted by veteran radio DJ Junor Francis and Alexis de la Rocha of Live Daily.

Musicians from various communities will be joining efforts throughout the next days at some of New York City's best known clubs and venues for world music and jazz. Tonight, Thursday, January 21st, the legendary SOBs is hosting Ayiti Deploge, a fundraiser with numerous local Haitian artists including Gazzman, Nia, Paola Jean, Manze Dayila, and Rogert Charles. Ayiti Deploge - 100% Benefit for Haiti. The venue is located at 204 Varick St, New York, NY 10014.
 
 On Friday, January 22nd Caribbean Cultural Center presents is hosting I Am Ayiti a fundraiser with Haitian artists including Tiga Jean-Baptiste & T’Chaka, DJ Laylo, Kalunga Neg Mawon, Jhon Clarke (formerly of Black Parents). Caribbean Cultural Center is located at 408 W. 58th Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues). More information at cccadi.org/node.