The Guardian has published a number of lists of the Best Culture of the 21st Century (So Far). Several Nonesuch artists and recordings have made the lists, including works by Rokia Traoré, John Adams, Steve Reich, Louis Andriessen, and more. Also on the lists are films for which Nonesuch released soundtracks by Jonny Greenwood, Clint Mansell, and more.

The Philharmonie de Paris has announced its 2019–20 season, and featured among the performers taking the esteemed venue's stages are a number of artists familiar to readers of the Nonesuch Journal, including Laurie Anderson, Rokia Traoré, Kronos Quartet, and Pat Metheny, as well as works by Steve Reich.

Rokia Traoré has been named Guest Director for the 2019 Brighton Festival, May 4–26, following in the footsteps of Laurie Anderson, Brian Eno, and others. "She is a remarkable artist who deserves to be recognized for the great breadth and range of her output," says Brighton Festival Chief Executive Andrew Comben. "She also has a great preparedness to think beyond her personal practice and engage with and comment upon the world around her—qualities which ideally suit her to the role of Guest Director."

Rokia Traoré will be the artist in residence at New York University's Institute of African American Affairs this semester. Through three programs curated by Traoré, she will share her work, ideas, and philosophy. The events, taking place at NYU October 26–30, including two lecture-performances and a culminating concert, are free and open to the public.

Damon Albarn Studio 13 has remixed Rokia Traoré’s song "Sé Dan," from her album Né So (Home), which was released on Nonesuch this past February. You can hear the song here. The remix comes as Traoré performs at Le Trianon in Paris tonight and begins a brief North American tour at Symphony Space in NYC this Sunday. The tour then heads to the West Coast for a show at SFJAZZ in San Francisco, three concerts in Canada, and a final stop at Triple Door in Seattle.

Rokia Traoré was the guest on NPR's World Cafe. She spoke with host David Dye about her new album, Né So, and performed three songs from the album: "Obiké," "Ilé," and "Strange Fruit." Find out what she has to say and hear the performances here. Traoré takes her Né So tour to the Festival Mawazine in Morocco later this month, followed by shows throughout France and the UK, including a set at the Glastonbury Festival in June.

Rokia Traoré has been named a Regional Goodwill Ambassador for West and Central Africa for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. "It is an honor to take on this role at such a vital time for refugees," said Traoré, who has been working with UNHCR since 2013 to raise awareness about the forcibly displaced, particularly in Africa. To mark her appointment as Goodwill Ambassador, Traoré has released a special video of the title track from her new album Né So, which means "Home" in her native Bambara language. It is dedicated to Malian refugees as well as those displaced around the world. You can watch it here.

Rokia Traoré has unveiled the official music video for "Ilé," a song from her newly released album Né So. The video was directed by Romain Carciofo. You can watch it here. The Times says of Né So: "Traoré has made the album of her career."

Rokia Traoré performed two songs from her new album, Né So, on the French TV show Le Grand Journal last night: "Ilé" and "Obiké." You can watch here. She was also a guest on the French show Le Grand 8 on Monday, performing "Mayé" from the new album. Traoré tours several cities across France starting in Paris on Thursday, February 25, followed by stops in Amsterdam, Brussels, and Geneva. She heads to the US in late March for shows in NYC, DC, and Savannah.

Rokia Traoré spoke with NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday about her new album, Né So (Home). Speaking about the civil war in her home country of Mali and the impact music can have in shining a light on the world's ills and offering hope as well, Traoré says: "That simply changes your life, and you're no longer naive in your way of seeing and thinking. Everything changes. And Mali is still what it is. You know, music there is so important, and culture is an important part of our life, of our social life. And in such a situation, I think that culture is even more important." You can hear the conversation here. Traoré will perform live on Le Grand Journal in France tonight.

Rokia Traoré's sixth album, Né So (Home), is out now. Produced by John Parish (PJ Harvey, Tracy Chapman), it comprises 10 original songs plus a cover of Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" and features guest performances by John Paul Jones and Devendra Banhart. NPR calls Né So a "gorgeous new album" from a "fantastically gifted" artist. The Times says: "Traoré has made the album of her career." Uncut exclaims: "Brave, challenging and arrestingly original, Traoré may just have gone and made the finest indie-rock album to emerge from arguably the world's most musical continent."

Rokia Traoré's new album, Né So, is out February 12. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it: the album is streaming in full till then as an NPR First Listen. NPR's Anastasia Tsioulcas, who calls Traoré "fantastically gifted," notes that "the idea of refuge ... serves as a central catalyst to Traoré's gorgeous new album." She concludes: "Né So is a sonically beautiful project, for sure, and it's easy to get lost in the lilting rhythms and Traoré's smoky voice. But if you're simply sitting back with this album, you may have missed her point." Hear Né So in full here. Traoré kicks off a tour in London on Saturday, followed by stops throughout Europe in the weeks ahead. She heads to the US in late March for performances in NYC, DC, and Savannah.