Cityfolk Festival

From his days with New Grass Revival to his most recent Grammy with the Flecktones, Bela Fleck has done more than anyone to broaden the range and change the image of the banjo, recording everything from bluegrass and folk to jazz and classical. A virtuoso player and nine-time Grammy winner, Fleck went to Africa in 2005 for a recording project exploring the African roots of the banjo. He recorded in Mali, Gambia, Tanzania and Uganda with such well-known musicians as singer Oumou Sangare and kora master Toumani Diabate as well as local musicians he met on his travels. The result is Throw Down Your Heart, an extraordinary album that's the odds-on favorite for next year's world music Grammy (there's also a documentary film of the same title). For this Cityfolk Festival performance, Fleck will be reunited with the transcendent Oumou Sangare, a Malian singer who's known as the Songbird of Wassoulou and one of the biggest stars of West Africa. Her newest album, Seya, got glowing reviews from The New York Times reviewer Nate Chinen and from Milo Miles on NPR's Fresh Air.