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Bassekou Kouyate and his band Ngoni Ba made one of the best received African albums of 2009. "I Speak Fula", released in September followed the hugely successful 2007 Segu Blue album. Through his music, Bassekou and his band have breathed new life into Ngoni playing. The traditional string instrument made of wood or calabash with animal skin stretched across it was always played sitting down on stage. Bassekou and his band changed that, strapping the Ngonis over their shoulders like guitars and bringing the instruments to the front of the stage. Bassekou and Ngoni Ba headlined on Friday night at the Festival of the Desert. We made contact with him on Saturday and he invited us to come to where he and his band were staying in Timbuktu to film an unplugged performance in the more traditional style. Again, we found ourselves racing the setting sun, trying to get the performance recorded before the light failed us. We borrowed his neighbour's rooftop and Bassekou Kouyate, his wife Amy Sacko, Calabash player Alou Coulibaly and Ngoni bassplayer Moussa Bah performed this beautiful version of "Jonkoloni" from the album Segu Blue.

music - Welcome to Mali by Amadou and Mariam

On Saturday morning, a group of young Tuareg men, wrapped in turbans against the strengthening sun, sat in the sand in front of their community of tents jamming together. There were guitars, drums, rapping, clapping and harmonies, the sound attracting a participating audience of friends and fellow musicians. It epitomised the spirit of the festival, the coming together of people for music, collaboration and friendship. The young men were musicians from Kidal, a town in the north of Mali which is also home to Tinariwen, the countrys most successful Tuareg band. Playing together that day were members of three bands from the town; Amanar, Terkafte and Taliwen. It was too windy for an outside performance and so they were persuaded to crawl into one of their own small tents along with cameras and recording equipment to perform a track for the Timbuktu video sessions collection. This is - from Terakafte: Salou on guitar and vocals; from Taliwen: Araby Ag Iknane and Baye Ag Ibrahime rapping; from Amanar: Abdarahmane Se'kou on guitar and Oumar Ag Baoly on the drum. The track is " Adounia Tanoukmane".

In a revealing interview Nigerian song-writer, Nneka tells Bola Mosuro how winning the UK's Mobo award has raised her profile in her homeland and further afield.

Jerry-cans, plastic, wax cloth and other found objects all feature in "Made In Porto-Novo", the latest London show by Benin artist, Romuald Hazoumé. The exhibition at the October Gallery in Central London tells of the precarious existence of Porto Novo's small time petrol importers whose livelihoods rely on bringing huge jerry-cans of fuel over the Nigerian border. Hazoumé's variety of art forms combines the old with the new, the traditional with the modern and his unique voice pulls inspiration from his own Yoruba tradition. Network Africa's Bola Mosuro met him on his opening night.

Oliver Mutukudzi with a song called Kupokana - a warning to be careful about the words that come out of your mouth. As the BBC's Connected Africa Day focuses on Africa's new broadband connectivity, Network Africa sessions step in to provide you with the opportunity to really test the new technology by watching the great Zimbabwean singer and guitarist, Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi performing two tracks live in our Bush House studios.

As the BBC's Connected Africa Day focuses on Africa's new broadband connectivity, Network Africa sessions step in to provide you with the opportunity to really test the new technology by watching the great Zimbabwean singer and guitarist, Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi performing two tracks live in our Bush House studios. This classic track, Neria is about the strength of women and how they should take their place and not feel inferior to men.

Network Africa's video sessions continue with a performance from Nigerian musician Keziah Jones, the inventor and master of Blu-funk. Influenced by Fela Kuti and Jimi Hendrix, Keziah shuttles back and forth between West Africa, Europe and the US, singing, playing guitar and absorbing new musical styles as he goes. He came to Bush House to perform a session for Network Africa. Kpafuca appears on his 2003 album, Black Orpheus.

Inflenced by Fela Kuti and Jimi Hendrix, Nigerian-born and New York based 'Blu-funk' musician, Keziah Jones performed a Network Africa session in studio S6 at Bush house. "Lagos vs New York" is from his five track Nigerian Funk EP which comes in advance of the release of his fifth album, Nigerian Wood, due out in the autumn. Described as "an album of pride and love" Keziah's new material seeks to represent Nigeria in a more contemporary cultural context with this track drawing parallels between his two favourite cities.

As part of our Network Africa video series, writer Nii Ayikwei Parkes came into the studio to discuss his new crime novel, Tail of the Blue Bird. Set in Ghana, the action takes place between the capital Accra and a small rural village, Sonokrom. The narrative highlights the divergence of the two worlds with characters from the city having to meet villagers on their own terms if they are to solve the murder case. Nii's poems featured on Network Africa a couple of years ago and Bola Mosuro was more than happy to chat to him once more about his work, this time in the long form.

Vieux, Souleymane Kane (Calabash) and Aly Magassa (guitar) in session at Bush House for BBC Network Africa. Great guitar work from the main man here and the calabash and rhythm guitar accompaniment combine to create this distinctive sound of modern Africa. Vieux Farka Touré was also interviewd by Bola Mosuro about his new album Fondo. You can listen at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/2009/05/090528_vft_av.shtml

Vieux, Souleymane Kane (Calabash) and Aly Magassa (guitar) in session at Bush House for BBC Network Africa. This is Vieux's own arrangement of a traditional Malian song. The recording took much longer than we anticipated but the band took it in extremely good humour and were patient and amused by our tragic attempts at French! Vieux Farka Touré was also interviewd by Bola Mosuro about his new album Fondo. You can listen at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/2009/05/090528_vft_av.shtml

New author Petina Gappah is a Zimbabwean lawyer based in Geneva; she has just published a collection of 13 short stories. Petina visited us here at Bush House and Bola Mosuro asked if the title story 'An Elegy for Easterly' - in which a community struggles to survive evictions whilst maintaining alliances, petty grievances and even prejudices - was based on a true story or if she just imagined the painful experiences people were going through.

Their meeting was "planned a long time ago - we just didn't know it", says Skip McDonald, collaborator and musical soul mate to Mauritania-born, Daby Touré. The planning may have been done on a higher plain, possibly by the musical gods, but the connection that the two men feel with each other through their music is real. McDonald, a blues artist originally from Dayton, Ohio in the US, and Touré initially came across each other while working on separate projects at the Real World record company's studios. The mutual interest and "spiritual vibrations" they felt in each other's music made for repeated jam sessions which eventually gave rise to the production of 'Call My Name', their six track album. The two artists visited Bush House to perform a couple of tracks and chat with BBC Network Africa's Bola Mosuro.

Daby Touré and Skip MacDonald perform Sinners from their album, 'Call My Name'. This was recorded in March 2009 at Bush House in London for BBC Network Africa,

With wars unfolding around the world, historians often ask: what can the past teach us? #BBCAfricaEye has been interviewing witnesses to the Nigerian Civil War, fought in the 1960s, which may offer important lessons for today. Watch Surviving Biafra: https://youtu.be/xETIY9A4Vb4 Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetoafrica Website: https://www.bbc.com/africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsafrica/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bbcafrica/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcafrica/ #Biafra #Nigeria #Documentary #History #Britain #HistoricalDocumentary #BBCAfrica

PCOS affects an estimated 170 million women worldwide during their reproductive years, yet as many as 70% of those affected remain undiagnosed, according to the World Health Organization. Experts hope that will change following the condition’s recent renaming to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), a term they say better reflects its impact on the whole body, not just the ovaries. So what is it like to live with the condition? Focus on Africa podcast host Nkechi Ogbonna spoke to 35-year-old Bianca Chenai from Zimbabwe and 25-year-old Ghanaian Juliana Naa Dede, who have been living with PMOS from a young age. 00:00-00:33 Coming Up 00:38-01:48 Renaming PCOS 01:48-02:31 Meeting the PMOS warriors 02:31-04:08 Understanding PMOS 04:09-05:00 Why it took long to rename PCOS to PMOS 05:01- 09:01 Naa’s and Bianca’s journey with PMOS 09:02-11:58 Naa’s journey to diagnosis 11:59-19:05 How PMOS has affected their relationships 19:05-20:38 How PMOS affect fertility? 20:39-23:20 Will the new name help with diagnosis and treatment? 23:21- 24:40 What they wish the world knew about living with PMOS 24:41-25:48 Closing Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Fana Negash and Basma El Atti Video Editor: Simon Mbai Senior Producer: Priya Sippy and Carolyne Kiambo Jotham Editors: Charles Gitonga and Maryam Abdalla #pcostopmos #bbcafrica #focusonafrica Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetoafrica Website: https://www.bbc.com/africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsafrica/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bbcafrica/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcafrica/

Fighting has died down - but tensions remain - on the streets of Somalia’s capital, following days of clashes between government forces and opposition-aligned groups. It’s been fuelled by government changes to the format of elections and opposition accusations that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is overstaying the end of his four-year term in power. But with a complex political landscape of changing alliances underpinning the crisis, is another political crisis is brewing in the East African country? Reporter Kouthar Mohamed       Edited by Bushra Mohamed Produced by Tom Santorelli Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetoafrica Website: https://www.bbc.com/africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsafrica/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bbcafrica/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcafrica/

Do you know the five big new rules to look out for at the World Cup? Fifa has been tinkering with the laws of the game again, so BBC Sport Africa’s Ian Williams has been digging into his props cupboard to help explain what they are and what else you should be looking out for at the tournament… Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetoafrica Website: https://www.bbc.com/africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsafrica/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bbcafrica/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcafrica/

For those who survived the Biafran War, the memories remain painfully vivid. Now in their 70s and 80s, former fighters are sharing their stories with #BBCAfricaEye before they are lost to history. 📽 Watch Surviving Biafra: https://youtu.be/xETIY9A4Vb4 Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetoafrica Website: https://www.bbc.com/africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsafrica/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bbcafrica/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcafrica/ #Biafra #Nigeria #Documentary #History #InvestigativeJournalism #HistoricalDocumentary #BBCAfrica

An Ebola outbreak is back in Central Africa and experts say it’s proving harder to control this time. Health experts are warning that efforts to contain the outbreak are facing significant challenges. A rare Ebola strain, not seen in over a decade, is spreading in a region already facing serious challenges - especially in DR Congo. So why is it so hard to stop in a country that has recorded more Ebola outbreaks than anywhere else since the 1970s? BBC’s Emery Makumeno breaks it down from the DRC. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetoafrica Website: https://www.bbc.com/africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsafrica/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bbcafrica/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcafrica/

For some women, having larger breasts is simply down to genetics. But for others, excessive breast growth can be painful, debilitating and life-changing.⁣ ⁣ Focus on Africa podcast host Nkechi Ogbonna speaks to 25-year-old South African content creator Michelle Sekwena, who has been sharing her journey with gigantomastia and her experience undergoing breast reduction surgery online.⁣ ⁣ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetoafrica Website: https://www.bbc.com/africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsafrica/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bbcafrica/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcafrica/

Kenya’s President William Ruto has defended an agreement with the United States to establish an Ebola quarantine facility in the country, describing it as “mutually beneficial”. The proposed 50-bed isolation centre would be staffed by US medics and used to treat American citizens affected by the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, Kenya’s High Court has temporarily halted the project after a rights group argued that it posed “grave and imminent risks” to public health. The court has also ordered the government to disclose all documents related to the agreement within seven days. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetoafrica Website: https://www.bbc.com/africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsafrica/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bbcafrica/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcafrica/

Cornelia Ginikanwa experienced the Nigerian Civil War first-hand, fighting with the Biafran Civil Defence Force and witnessing its devastating impact. An estimated 500,000 to 3 million people died — over half were children. 📽️ Watch 'Surviving Biafra': https://youtu.be/xETIY9A4Vb4 Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetoafrica Website: https://www.bbc.com/africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsafrica/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bbcafrica/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcafrica/ #Biafra #Nigeria #Documentary #History #InvestigativeJournalism #HistoricalDocumentary #BBCAfrica