BY NOW you should know that the annual music conference Moshito is in full swing at Museum Africa, where musical products are on display.

BY NOW you should know that the annual music conference Moshito is in full swing at Museum Africa, where musical products are on display.

Speakers are enlightening audiences, taking them into their confidence about the intricacies of the industry.

However, like every year, it is not only talk, and more talk, there is a fun side to it - music. For starters, venues like Nikki's Oasis and others are hosting free shows alongside the Moshito.

Those who have a bit of extra cash, have to pencil in Saturday for a big world music concert at nearby Bassline.

Presented as part of the 2009 Joburg Arts Alive International Festival and supported by the National Arts Council and the French Institute of South Africa, the concert showcases the musical gifts of Etran Finatawa (Niger), Thandiswa Mazwai (SA), Menwar (Mauritius) and 340ml (Mozambique).

Etran Finatawa is widely seen as gifted enough to rival the better known Tinariwen, and their appearance at the Moshito '09 World Music Concert is a rare chance for South African music fans to witness the Nomad Blues created by this remarkable band.

Already nominated for a BBC World Music Award for their 2005 debut Introducing Etran Finatawa, Etran Finatawa's most recent album, Desert Crossroads, earned widespread critical acclaim for the band, which consists of members of the Tuareg and Wodaabe-Fulani nomadic people.

Menwar is another inspired addition to the Moshito '09 World Music Concert line-up. The Mauritian has been described by Mondomix Music as the "most innovative ambassador of Sega music in Mauritius today". A songwriter and musician, who is not afraid of singing about the everyday realities of ordinary Mauritians, Menwar is the master of the ravanne, the main instrument of Sega music.

Thandiswa Mazwai represents South Africa at the concert. Her inclusion in the Moshito '09 World Music Concert is an indication of how far this Bongo Maffin founding member has travelled to create music that connects directly with her roots.

Also bringing their spellbinding Afro-dub sounds to the show are Mozambique's 340ml, who trounced the competition to take home the Best Alternative Album in English at this year's South African Music Awards for their album Sorry For The Delay. Always exciting to watch, 340ml are likely to bring a laid-back groove to the concert.