In response to the current situation in Mali, Fatoumata Diawara has gathered together over 40 of Mali’s most renowned musicians in a studio in Bamako to record a song and video calling for peace titled "Mali-ko" (Peace / La Paix). Known collectively as Voices United for Mali, the group includes Amadou & Mariam, Oumou Sangare, Toumani Diabate, Afel Bocoum, Bassekou Kouyate, Vieux Farka Toure, and others. Watch the video and read the lyrics and their translation here.

The line-up for the 2013 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, aka Jazz Fest, has been announced, and among this year's performers are four artists familiar to readers of the Nonesuch Journal: The Black Keys, Joshua Redman, and New Orleans legends and hometown heroes Dr. John and Allen Toussaint. Jazz Fest runs across two weekends, April 26–28 and May 2–5. The opening weekend includes sets from the Joshua Redman Quartet, Dr. John, and Toussaint; The Black Keys help close out the entire festival on Sunday, May 5.

The album Old Yellow Moon, due out February 26, 2013, on Nonesuch Records, is the first official collaboration from Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell since Crowell joined Harris’ Hot Band in 1975. In this article, the two old friends and occasional band mates speak with writer Michael Hill about the long-anticipated project and how it finally came to be. Read the story that led Harris to declare: “I love the way records get born!”

Nataly Dawn has premiered her video for "I Just Wanted You to Get Old," the closing track from her forthcoming Nonesuch Records debut album, How I Knew Her, out on February 12, 2013. Watch it here. Dawn, who launches her tour with Ben Folds Five in Denver on Wednesday, January 23, was recently in London, where she performed live on BBC London's Jo Good show, and the title track to the album won the BBC 6 Music “Rebel Playlist” listener poll, earning a spot on every BBC 6 Music daytime show this week. Dawn is also featured on Drunken Werewolf and on the latest episode of the Monocle Radio Culture Show.

Fatoumata Diawara performed a set at the 10th annual Globalfest at NYC's Webster Hall on Sunday. The event is the subject of this week's episode of NPR's All Songs Considered, focused on the festival's "highlights and favorite discoveries," Diawara among them. "Undoubtedly one of the breakout stars of this year's edition of globalFEST, the Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara had the crowd wrapped around her finger," reports NPR. "Gifted with enormous stage presence and great looks, Diawara put on a tightly choreographed set that screamed with energy and edged towards rock and funk." The New York Times includes her among "this year’s superb African contingent at Globalfest." Watch an excerpt of her performance here via NPR.

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell will embark on series of tour dates this March with co-headliner Richard Thompson. The tour is in celebration of Harris and Crowell's new collaborative album, Old Yellow Moon, out February 26, 2013, on Nonesuch Records. Tickets go on sale starting this week. VIP ticket-and-album packages, presented by Bonaparte's Retreat together with Crossroads Campus, include a meet-and-greet with Harris; a digital copy of the album; autographed, handwritten lyrics of "Wrecking Ball"; and an official tour poster.

Cayamo cruises through the Caribbean with Shawn Colvin, Rodney Crowell, and Sara Watkins, who also guests on A Prairie Home Companion ... Jeremy Denk plays Ives in NYC, Bach in Los Alamos ... Fatoumata Diawara performs at Globalfest in NYC ... Einstein on the Beach concludes Amsterdam run ... Emmylou Harris tours the Midwest ... Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica join Slava's Snow Show in Estonia ... Kronos Quartet opens Napa Valley Opera House classical series ... Rokia Traoré launches Australia tour at Sydney Festival ... and more ...

The Black Keys will perform at the 55th annual Grammy Awards, where they are nominated for five awards—Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Album. This will mark the band's debut performance on the Grammy telecast. In 2010, the duo won three Grammy Awards for their breakout album, Brothers. The 55th Grammy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on February 10, broadcast live on CBS. The Black Keys will tour with special guests The Flaming Lips this April and May.

Devendra Banhart releases his Nonesuch debut, Mala, on March 12, 2013. The singer/songwriter co-produced the record with his longtime bandmate, guitarist Noah Georgeson. Spring tour dates will be announced soon. Mala may be pre-ordered now on CD and vinyl in the Nonesuch Store with: a limited-edition, autographed print; an instant download of the album track “Für Hildegard von Bingen”; and a download of the complete album available starting release day. The Mala LP is pressed on 140-gram vinyl and includes the album on CD, an additional 7” with two bonus tracks, and an exclusive poster.

The Black Keys, who are up for five awards at the 55th annual Grammy Awards, have just announced a series of special dates with The Flaming Lips for this April and May. The bands will perform at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri; CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh; Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood in Atlanta; and Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The Grammy nominations and tour follow a highly successful year for the duo, whose critically acclaimed Nonesuch album, El Camino, was recently certified RIAA Platinum.

Shawn Colvin and Mary Chapin Carpenter have added additional dates to their upcoming tour together, making further stops this April and May across the Pacific Northwest, into Canada, and down to the US Northeast. These longtime friends will share the stage as an intimate duo, performing material spanning their vast catalogs as well as some of their favorite songs. These newly announced dates follow the nine-city first leg of the tour, which begins February 21 in Charlotte, as well as Shawn’s three-night solo residency at the Dakota in Minneapolis and her tour of Australia. 

Lianne La Havas, who rang in the New Year performing on Jools Holland's Hootennany on BBC Two (watch her performance of "Age" from the show here), is set to return to North America for an 18-city headlining tour starting March 17, following shows this month and next in Australia, the UK, and Ireland. Last week, La Havas was featured on NPR's daily talk show Tell Me More to discuss her debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?. "It's a great album," says NPR's Celeste Headlee. "And I recommend people go pick it up."