"It was time for me to embrace my African heritage." This was jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater's state of mind when she decided to trace her lineage in hopes of finding her native roots. Unfortunately, Bridgewater (pictured right), who is performing on Sunday at the Kennedy Center, could only trace them back 150 years, to Mississippi. She then began listening to a variety of West African music, and it was Mali's music that struck the... more ›

Mickey Hart (pictured right), best known as one of the drummers in the Grateful Dead, has a deep passion for rhythm and its chief purveyor, the drum. Having authored books on the history and mythology of drums and drumming, as well as works on the spiritual aspects of music, Hart’s work as a musician reflects this combination of the spiritual and academic aspects of his craft. So it's no surprise that Hart found a kindred spirit in Zakir Hussain. Universally recognized as the finest tabla player in the world, the Indian classical tradition from which Hussain comes is very intellectual, but also has deep spiritual and religious roots. more ›

Jeff Antoniuk grew up listening to 1970s and 80s R&B, and funk like Michael Jackson, Earth Wind and Fire, and Average White Band, in addition to the required Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. He then discovered jazz fusion, which then led to classic acoustic jazz. In between all of this, he was studying classical piano classical theory and his master’s studies also included world music and ethnomusicology. The result is a wide range of... more ›

We thought we'd share this photo of Jemina Pearl from Be Your Own Pet at the 9:30 Club last night, opening up for Arctic Monkeys. If you missed out on the show, there's plenty of live music to choose from tonight. >> Swedish garage rock band Mando Diao are known for their combustive live shows as much as their music: super catchy '60s power pop twinged with a hint of dirt. They've won awards galore... more ›

While I can’t yet rank it against the city’s other offerings, Bukom Café seems as good a place as any to acquaint yourself with West African cuisine. Despite its location below The Reef’s upper levels, it’s far from sceney as it offers refuge from the drunken mayhem lurking just outside its doors. The sunken dining area offers semi-seclusion in the rear, while the tables on the main floor provide a view of the house band. Though the band was in the groove, Bukom's food was clearly the main event. more ›

Sure, you can grind, you can salsa, and maybe even do a little ballroom dancing, but how are you at caopeira? What about bhangra? Can you tell the swing dancers from the hand dancers? more ›

If you're like us, you've got more holiday parties to attend this weekend than you can count with your socks off. But just in case you're still looking for more merriment, here's a look at this weekend's offerings. more ›

Catherine Andrews contributed to these picks FRIDAY: >> Okay, so it's not quite as groovy as the sing-along versions that swept the country over the last few years, but if you're looking for something a little bit fun and a whole lot wholesome tonight, you could do worse than the National Symphony Orchestra accompanying "The Wizard of Oz" on the lawn at the Wolf Trap. 8:30 p.m., $18 to $38. SATURDAY: >> Chopteeth, a... more ›

Now that Ivorian mobs are ruling the streets of Abidjan (with machete-armed locals looking for French nationals and the French downing the entire air force of Cote d'Ivoire), DCist laments the surge of violence in the troubled West African nation. more ›