Friday June 11
Salif Keita at 8 p.m.  at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium, 21st and H Streets NW. This veteran Malian singer has an awe-inspiring voice, and while some of the material on his new CD, La Difference, is reworked older songs and a tad too mellow, most of it is hypnotizing. 15-$45. (202) 994-6800.

Eddie Herrera and Raulin Rosendo at 10:30 p.m. at Bravo Bravo, 1001 Connecticut Ave. NW. Dominican Herrera is a meringue man while Dominican Rosendo goes for salsa. $25. 202-223-5330.

Sat. June 12
Tinner Hill Blues Fest panel discussion, "Red, Black and Blues: Native Americans, African Americans and their Shared Blues Musical Traditions,”  at 10 a.m. at the “Big red tent,” next to Cherry Hill Farmhouse in Cherry Hill Park, 312 Park Ave., Falls Church, Va. Panelists include Dr. Ron Welburn of Gingaskin and Assateague/Cherokee/African American descent, who is a professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and who conducts ethnohistorical research on eastern Native America; Elaine Bomberry from Six Nations on the Grand River in Ontario; and the fine bluesman Corey Harris. Free. (703) 241-4109.

Eddie Palmieri Latin-Jazz Band with the Claudio Roditi Quartet at 3:30 p.m. as part of DC Jazz Fest at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium, 21st and H Streets NW. Charismatic veteran pianist Palmieri can play dance rhythms or bang out noisy improv. Free. (202) 994-6800.

Jeff Floyd with Big G. at WPFW DJ the Gator's celebration at noon at Lamont's, 4400 Livingston Road (Route 224), Pomonkey, Md. Great southern soul that is as vital as Sharon Jones or Betty LaVette, even if NPR and Brooklyn hipsters have never heard of these folks. The Gator’s been playing Floyd’s catchy “Shake Something Loose” every Saturday for weeks now. $20. (301) 868-4235.

Golem with Girls In Trouble as part of the Washington Jewish Music Festival at 9 at the DC JCC, 1529 16th St. NW. Golem offer Eastern European derived craziness while Girls in Trouble say their indie-fiddle-folk is post-Biblical art pop. $16.50. (202) 519-9400.

Sun. June 13
10th Annual Arlandria Chirilagua Festival with Angel y Kris, Oro Solido, Andy Andy, Las Bellas Indomables del Salvador, Los Silver Star de Honduras, y mucho más from noon to 7 p.m. at 25 West Reed Ave. and Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria. Angel y Khriz make fine Puerto Rican reggaeton and Oro Solido are a nice New York meringue outfit. $7. (703) 684-5697 ext. 310.

Lousiana Swamp Romp at 2 p.m. at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road Vienna, Va.,  with the sultry voiced Rosie Ledet and her Zydeco Playboys, Cajun stars Beausoleil, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band from New Orleans, and roots R&B pianist Marcia Ball and her band. $25. (1-877) WOLFTRAP.

A.R. Rahman with orchestra and singers at 7:30 pm at the George Mason Patriot Center,  4400 University Drive, Fairfax, Va. A hugely influential and popular Bollywood soundtrack composer, conductor, and performer. (703) 993-3000. $45-$500.

Whenever I tell folks I like New Orleans brass bands, I gotta convince them that the groups are funky like old-school DC go-go combos, not sedate like old-fashioned Dixieland troupes.  That is the case with Mama Digdown's Brass Band, who are appearing at the Surf Club Thursday night (conflict of interest note—I told them about area clubs when they were booking the tour).  Except Digdown is from Wisconsin not the 9th Ward.

Fascinated with the second line parade percussion and the booming horns of the Crescent City, Digdown has spent over a decade traveling down there as often as possible to soak up the approach and then add a little something of their own to it.  Covering standards like “I’ll Fly Away,” and adding in some originals, this horn (sousaphone, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, and sax) and percussion (bass and snare drums) unit has toured Europe and played in New Orleans.

These guys are serious about their craft.  A few years back, I discovered an I Love Music chatboard thread called "New Orleans Brass Bands S/D" that featured extensive posting from Mama Digdown’s bass drum player, Jordan Cohen.  Only occasionally talking about his own group, Cohen has highlighted  vets like Dirty Dozen as well as the Rebirth Brass Band, New Birth Brass Band, Hot 8 Brass Band, Lil' Rascals Brass Band, Treme Brass Band, Soul Rebels Brass Band, and more. With Dirty Dozen and Rebirth having made recent local appearances, tonight’s gig offers locals another current opportunity to shake their thangs to this still vital street marching jazzy sound.

Thursday June 18, 2009-Mama Digdown's Brass Band with local zydeco and New Orleans r’n’b band Little Red & the Renegades from 8 to 12 midnight at the Surf Club, 4711 Kenilworth Avenue, Hyattsville MD.  301-927-6310