Extra Golden is just one of the many impressive acts the Big Sur Spirit Garden has secured for the upcoming spring, summer and fall seasons. Jayson Fann, the founder and director of the Spirit Garden, says currently there are around 75 events scheduled at the venue – from Congolese drumming and dance workshops to performances of Moroccan Berber music and Chilean flute music.

“It’s like the global village,” he says. “Our vision is to bring the world together through music and art.”

A colorful outdoor venue that can hold 350 spectators, the Big Sur Spirit Garden will allow audience members to get up close and personal with some of world music’s biggest acts. “It’s really kind of phenomenal we’ve been able to pull this off,” Fann says. “We’re not the Sunset Center.”

Some of the Big Sur Spirit Garden’s most promising upcoming events include the following:

May 30

Featured on famous world music record label Putumayo’s World Reggae and Women of Africa CDs, Maria De Barros performs the sounds of the Cape Verde Islands, an archipelago off the coast of West Africa. Cape Verde’s music is a mix of African and Cuban rhythms.

June 12-14

The highlight of the three-day long African Music and Arts Festival is sure to be a tribute to Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji by members of his The Drums of Passion Ensemble. Another acclaimed performer, West African singer Mandjou Kone, will be joined by a troupe of dancers and drummers.

June 20

Founder and director of the Brazilian All Star Band, Celia Malheiros, who has been a player at both the Monterey Jazz Festival and San Francisco Jazz Festival, is known for adding samba beats to her take on jazz.

July 19

Hailing from Eastern Belgium, La Fanfare Du Belgistan employs five horn players and two percussionists to play Gypsy music and jazz.

July 25

Honoring the popular Spanish music and dance genre, the Flamenco Festival will include a performance by San Francisco’s Virginia Iglesias Flamenco Dance Company.

Aug. 1

Founded in 1965, Nonosina is dedicated to keeping Polynesian culture alive with performances by its lively drumming and dance troupe.

For more events and information, visit www.bigsurspiritgarden.com