I was really looking forward to seeing Jackson Browne at the Royal Albert Hall as I love Running on empty; Doctor my eyes; Fountain of sorrow.

However something was wrong with the sound as all the music was so loud that it distorted his voice. He did not seem to know what he was going to sing; he had hardly got going before a break came up but before that we had to listen to a poor song by David Linley.

I decided to leave to avoid being more disappointed. Listen to Lastfm and hear his classics!

I first saw Angelique Kidjo hosting a Miriam Makeba tribute at the Barbican tribute event which made me book to see her again at the Barbican.

Kidjo has genuine charisma, dynamic energy and is massively entertaining, a true African superstar. She can sing up, not just a storm, but a tornado with a cut glass voice of tremendous volume but can still produce slower songs to devastating effect.

As well as singing Kidjo also dances like the devil which included getting the audience on the stage to dance with her.

Listen to her or read the Guardian review.

This is the fourth time that I have seen the Gotan Project (@O2AcademyBrix) and again I was not disappointed. In fact the whole event went too quickly.

The audience goes wild at end of Gotan Project show.

As usual their dynamic electronic, very modern, interpretation of tango based tunes really had the audience swaying in time. A nice feature, as part of their Tango 3.0 album, was a strong trumpet sound. As usual the fascinating back projections were integral to the performance which unfortunately does not come over on cds.

If you have not heard the Gotan Project before you might have on TV adverts or on various film soundtracks.

Cesaria Evora really was barefoot at the Barbican last night, as befits the ‘barefoot diva’ from Cape Verde. I am lucky as I have now seen her twice and each time the live performance is much better than any cd.

She was backed by a great group of musicians who made up for her somewhat static performance. Standout songs: Sodade and Besame Mucho.

There was also fascinating support from Ballake Sissoko (Kora) and Vincent Segal (Cello) who playing very contrasting instruments hypnotised the audience.

When I saw Salif Keita at the Union Chapel, Islington the venue was more intimate than the cavernous Barbican last night. However such is the power of Keita that he was still able to fully engage with his enthusiastic audience.

After a somewhat oddball supporting act from Adriano Adewale, Keita made the Barbican come alive with some great singing; great backing singers; and a fabulous band. The traditional dancing was enthralling and with the nice touch getting audience on the stage at the end!

This clip shows the event’s energy – might be worth buying his new album La Difference.

In case you have missed it Sadler’s Wells is holding its annual Flamenco festival during the second half of February. The festival is always a great chance to see a wide range of flamenco styles of the highest quality.

Rojas & Rodriquez and the Nuevo Ballet Espanol were excellent with fabulous costumes and great ensemble singing/dancing. For a slightly different view read the Express south.

My tips are book early as tickets go very quickly because of the quality of performers and the multibuy 20% is excellent and well handled on their website.

Well done Angelique Kidjo for hosting this tribute to Miriam Makeba at the Barbican on Saturday.

It was a fitting tribute to Mama Africa by some of the biggest starts of African music: Vieux Farka Toure, Baaba Maal, Asa, Vusi Mahlasela, Sayon Bamba, Dobet Gnahore & the South African chorus – Makeba’s backing group.

The quality of the singing and music was outstanding, Kidjo confirmed that she is a great singer (and dancer). As importantly she and others paid tribute to Makeba for her stand against racism and as an inspiration for so many African women.

A great and moving event.

The Blind Boys of Alabama really sang up a storm at the Barbican last night.

If you have not heard of them before they really are blind, come from Alabama but are not boys. Can they sing soul gospel, oh yes, as their five Grammys show.

Show stopping songs included Amazing Grace, Spirit in the sky, Keep the Devil down in the hole. Its worth adding Billy Bowers voice has impact of a thunder strike, when the big man gets up to sing watch out!

Allen Toussaint the legendary New Orleans singer/songwriter was the perfect first half compliment.

Shame on the promoters of this Barbican concert as it was not a sell out for Juan Martin a master of the flamenco guitar. Having seen him before I expected both superb guitar playing and a true ensemble atmosphere: I was not disappointed.

The quality of playing was outstanding across a wide range of styles and tempos. As usual Martin helpfully explains the background to the styles of flamenco being played. Equally charming is that the other members of his group are always given a chance to shine. His own compositions were stunning particularly the arabic themed tune. Great concert!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Martin

What an amazing evening of pulsating Cuban music from Eliades Ochoa at the Barbican. The staid Barbican was transformed into a storm of tropical music with an audience of swaying bodies. It was a true priviledge to be there to hear this veteran of the Buena Vista Social Club.

As well as his own unique guitar style and singing he was complemented by a band of stunning quality who kept up a dynamic beat the whole evening. Listing to the album of Buena Vista takes on whole new meaning when you have heard the songs played live and been part of his grande familia!

A taster of what you missed is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZmLS0i0eMs