(WORLD MUSIC) The beauty of Maria de Barros is matched by the beauty of her voice, which is called the soul of Cape Verde. The beauty of Maria de Barros is also matched by the beauty of the language she sings in, Portuguese, and the music she makes, which is a smooth fusion of Iberian, Caribbean, black African, and South American rhythms. Do something different for once and go and see live music from an island whose name rarely (if ever) enters your consciousness. (Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Ave, 575-3472 or 325-2993. 8 pm, $20.)

Charles Mudede—who writes about film, books, music, and his life in Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, the USA, and the UK for The Stranger—was born near a steel plant in Kwe Kwe, Zimbabwe. He has no memory...