UK, the US and France

Ghostface Killah, Rakim and Brother Ali will team up for their first Hip Hope Live tour in the US this month. The idea for Hip Hop Live! came about when Ghostface Killah and Rakim performed with The Rhythm roots Allstars at South by South West in Austin. As the official backing band for the tour, The Rhythm Roots Allstars grew out of their successful club night at the Temple Bar in Santa Monica where they performed a mix of funk, latin, calypsoul and afrobeat. Sponsored by Flow TV, the Hip Hop Live! tour will visit various cities in the US including New York, Baltimore and Aspen.. Ghostface Killah was a founding member of Wu-Tang Clan and his new solo album and the first Wu Tang album in six years both hit stores December 4th. Rakim is also said to be working on a new CD and when asked about the Hip Hop Live! event he responded ‘Hip-Hop's roots are nourished by live music… For artists who dug through crates searching for the perfect sample, always trying to replicate the sounds of a full band, standing on a stage, moving the crowd in front of this talent is both the nexus and the pinnacle of what we do’.

www.myspace.com/darfurnow) www.oxfamamerica.org or www.savedarfur.org. Or you are more into movies than music, check out the documentary Darfur Now featuring Don Cheadle and 5 other proactive people as they deal with the disaster either within the refugee camps or by petitioning politicians and world leaders to take action.

Les Inrocks turns 20 this year. To celebrate its widening the tour beyond Paris to include cities such as Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Strasbourg, Toulouse and Nantes. France's premier music magazine has developed a fanatical readership. Les Inrockuptibles is known for being the thinking man or womans music mag, with articles about philosophy, underground cinema and in depth interviews with artists, so expect the crowd to include a good mix of music-loving hipsters and brainiacs. The music on offer ranges from the folky indie songwriter a la Devendra Banhart, Beirut and Loney, Dear to the rocking electronica of Justice, the Klaxons and Bloc Party. For full details check out the website.

Gemmadempsey.vox.com –feel free to post comments or photos and let me know about festivals in your part of the world.