There is no one alive today that can deny the cultural contributions of Africa to modern day music across the entire globe. From artists such as the late Fela Kuti, on whose life the Award-winning Broadway musical Fela is based, to new emerging cosmopolitan artists such as  Nneka and K’Naan, the influence of African music is still heard today. Even Artists that you would not traditionally think of as African influenced, such as The Roots, whose new album might be the best to come out this year so far, can easily tell you how they have been touched and influenced by it. In fact so much so that a new branch of Okayplayer, appropriately named Okayafrica, was launched earlier this summer devoted exclusively to covering the latest cutting edge African Artists. Considering the great overlap in our communities, we thought it best if we gave you a little sample of what they offer. Check out a few of our picks after the jump.

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For Brooklynites who won't make it to Central Park, SummerStage isn't the only option for great outdoor shows this summer. New York's longest running free festival is coming back to Prospect Park this Wednesday, and we've put together a list of must-see shows for Celebrate Brooklyn! 2010. After the jump, check out videos of our top picks and get the full line-up.

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