JUNE 7 The Gundecha BrothersGandhi Memorial Center, $15 ($10 students)

With its wealth of instrumental tones, Indian classical music hardly seems reducible to just vocals. It doesn't, that is, if you've never seen Ramakant and Umakant Gundecha, who perform in the ancient dhrupad style. Their agile tenors can produce any sound a sitar can, including bent notes, one-note riffs and prolonged tones. Accompanied in the livelier portions of a raga by third brother Akhilesh on the "pakhawaj," a two-headed tuned drum, the brothers trade vocal riffs with as much exuberance as precision. The effect is exhilarating, yet ultimately serene.

JUNE 20 Salif KeitaLisner Auditorium, $25-$45

As is typical of African band leaders, Keita cedes large sections of his shows to backup musicians. (He brought 10 to Lisner in 2004.) But whether working with American jazz-funk musicians or the traditional players of his native Mali, Keita's golden tenor dominates whenever he opens his mouth. Such Keita standards as "Mandjou" ideally suit his soaring voice, with melodies that glide above the rippling percussion. Although they have their delicate passages, all Keita performances are dance concerts, and during the most ecstatic moments, the line between performers and gyrating listeners almost vanishes.

JULY 1 Sergio Mendes and Zap MamaWolf Trap, $22-$40

Bossa nova veteran Sergio Mendes's sauntering original style was well-conveyed by the name of his group: Brasil '66. The keyboardist reached his commercial peak in the United States in the late '60s but left that period behind with music that combined samba with jazz and hip-hop. In 2006, such guests as John Legend, Erykah Badu and Justin Timberlake helped reintroduce Mendes to American listeners with "Timeless." That album updated such early hits as "Mas Que Nada," whose remake featured the Black Eyed Peas, yet Mendes doesn't really need help. Opening are Zap Mama, led by Belgian Congolese singer Marie Daulne. With influences that include pygmy chants and the Andrews Sisters, the group's harmonies can be alien but are rarely less than gorgeous.

JULY 6 Dengue Fever and Chicha LibreBlack Cat, $15

You get three or four continents for the price of one with this pairing of Dengue Fever's Cambodian American pop and Chicha Libre's dubby Peruvian lounge music. Although Dengue Fever's songs are mostly penned by guitarist Zac Holtzman, the L.A. sextet is defined by singer Chhom Nimol, who sings in English and Khmer. The combination usually ventures far from traditional Cambodian music, but it has a piquant novelty even when the music is predominantly rock. Chicha Libre's "sonido Amazonico" is more easygoing but just as diverse, mixing folk music, torch songs and pieces by Ravel and Satie.

JULY 28 Extra Golden and ChopteethBirchmere, $20

Extra Golden's saga is sad and inspiring. The band had included Alex Minoff, guitarist for D.C.'s Weird War, and Ian Eagleson. The "extra" arrived when the duo combined with several Kenyan "benga" musicians, including Otieno Jagwasi. Soon after finishing the first Extra Golden album, "OK-Oyot System," Jagwasi died of liver failure, but the cross-cultural ensemble continues to make ebullient music. A second disc, "Hera Ma Nono," was made with three Kenyan musicians joining Minoff and Eagleson, and that lineup will bring benga's chiming riffs and polyrhythmic patterns to the show. Opener Chopteeth is a dynamic 14-member local outfit that plays a mix of Afrobeat and ska.

-- Mark Jenkins