1 Voices of Afghanistan: Ustad Farida Mahwash might well be the most revered singer to come out of Afghanistan. Her searing voice and astounding vocal control have made her a powerful performer of ghazal music -- so much so that she was the first woman granted the honorific title of "Ustad." Years of war and upheaval forced Mahwash to flee her homeland, first to Pakistan and then the U.S. On June 2, she makes a rare Bay Area appearance, paired with the nearly as legendary Afghan musician Homayoun Sakhi and his ensemble.

Details: Presented by Cal Performances; 7 p.m.; Craneway Pavilion, Richmond; $31-$36; 510-642-9988, www.calperformances.org.

2 Savage Jazz Dance Company: The company kicks off its 20th anniversary season with a spring program this weekend that pays homage to its hometown of Oakland. The program -- including three world premieres and other new works set to everything from jazz to electronica to classical -- is meant to reflect on the many aspects, joyous and heartbreaking, of Oakland.

Details: 8 p.m. May 31-June 2, 3 p.m. June 3; Laney College Theater, Oakland; $5-$15; www.savagejazz.org, www.brownpapertickets.com.

3 Cajun cornucopia: You've got three chances to hear great foot-stomping Louisiana music on both sides of the Bay in

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the next 10 days. On June 2, CJ Chenier, son of the legendary Creole musician Clifton Chenier, brings his Red Hot Louisiana Band to Yoshi's-San Francisco for two shows. On June 7, the terrific Bay Area fiddler Tom Rigney and his barn-burning band Flambeau holds forth at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord, as part of the city's Music and Market concert series. If that's not enough, the powerhouse Zydeco Flames storm the Taproom at E.J. Phair Brewing Company in Pittsburg on June 9.