Somewhere, Bo Diddley is beaming in the sunshine.

The late rock legend's iconic "shave and a haircut, two bits' riff was all over at least one TD Canada Trust Sunfest stage last night as the 2009 edition of the worldbeat fest ended its four-day run at Victoria Park.

Gambian griot Juldeh Camara and British guitarist Justin Adams teamed for an extended workout on that immortal Bo Diddley beat during their Sunfest farewell gig at the Big Rock Brewery stage on Wellington St. near city hall.

With Camara wailing on his ritti -- an African one-string fiddle -- Adams, who was last in London with ex-Led Zep frontman Robert Plant, kept the Bo beat going. It was a beautiful sample of what Adams calls "Afrobilly,' when he is talking about their music. The duo's album Tell No Lies is a worldbeat hit.

It is drenched in Bo Diddley sounds on several tracks. There are also detours through the blues, like Fulani Coochie Man, which echoes the Chicago blues sounds of Muddy Waters if he had learned his guitar along the Niger, not the Mississippi. It was another blast of blue truth last night.

The blues and Africa weren't all the duo had going for them. There was a little punk rock attitude in there, too.

"I'm particularly proud because I'm a native of London,' Adams announced to cheers. He then said he had some London, as in England, music to share before blasting out a few moments of a Clash tune, London Calling.

Driving the two string slingers along was blue-robed percussionist Salah Dawson Miller, who was a visual as well as sonic treat with Gandalf beard and Boromir hair underneath an elaborate turban.

"Bo Diddley's an interesting one, because one of the African elements that's his is that syncopated, 'shave and a haircut' lick,' Adams said before the show.

His interest in African music led Adams to record Mali stars Tinariwen, who have played Sunfest, in the Sahara desert. His studies suggest Bo Diddley may have found the beat in Cuban and Brazilian music that had been influenced by African sounds, which would make the Adams-Camara version a true Sunfest mix of the best of all worldbeats.

Sunfest 2009's final hours were so rich that Adams wasn't the only stellar guitarist at the park just then. At the opposite corner of the Sunfest world, Toronto's Michael Occhipinti was playing lovely, lilting runs with his Sicilian Jazz Project at the WestJet jazz village stage.

There was a similarly rich mix earlier yesterday. At the Big Rock stage, Vancouver's Five Alarm Funk had the dancers moving. Over at the centre stage, Quebec's Psychotropical Orchestra had a rave, electronica feeling going. At the jazz village, members of the European La Fanfare du Belgistan were jumping out to dance with the fans moving to their worldbeat sounds.

Among the visitors at Sunfest to work was 1992 Fanshawe MIA grad Ron Skinner, a producer and recording engineer with CBC Radio's Canada Live.

Music from concerts by Occhipinti and Cape Verde's Carmen Souza will be broadcast on July 28.

Skinner and his CBC associates were also recording African star Vieux FarkaToure's Kiwanis concert last night for broadcast at a later date.

Saturday's rain surprised Sunfest's artistic director Alfredo Caxaj, whose fest has been blessed with sunny skies during its 15 editions. "When it started raining a little bit in the morning, it's difficult for us to get used to,' Caxaj said laughing. "No question that it's been another amazing year.'

Caxaj could point to the success of Suntronica '09, an electronica and dance-fuelled fest within the fest, to bring a new young crowd to join the thousands who jammed in the park all four days.

"Viva Sunfest," Caxaj called out after Sargento Garcia, a charismatic Frenchman with Cuban roots, led his hot "salsa-muffin" -- a mix of dancehall, hip-hop, salsa and more -- band at the bandshell finale. Sunfest fixture Lazo, back for his 14th fest, closed out the Big Rock stage with reggae. The Toronto reggae ace and Garcia both had hundreds dancing.

As Sunfest's last notes faded away last night, two more outdoor music fests were waiting to hit the stage later this week.

The Home County Folk Festival's 9 p.m. Wednesday concert with Halifax singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett at Aeolian Hall has been sold out for weeks. An early show has been added; doors open at 795 Dundas St. at 5 p.m., music at 5:30 p.m. Plaskett is to play a solo 75-minute set at 6:15 p.m. Visit ticketscene.ca or call 519-672-7950.

Home County 2009's opening night is Friday at Victoria Park. The 2009 edition of Bluesfest London opens the same night at its outdoor location at King and Clarence. British guitar star Mick Taylor, set to play the fest's closing set Sunday, has just cancelled his North American dates.

"It is with deep regret that I must announce that the U.S. and Canadian dates scheduled for July and August will have to be cancelled, due to health concerns,' Taylor says on his website. "During my stay in the hospital, my physicians have determined it would not be safe for me to travel at this time.' He urged fans to visit www.micktaylor.net for details.

Bluesfest London general manager Chris Gould said last night 28 festivals are affected by the Taylor cancellations. The former Rolling Stone is suffering from pleurisy and has developed a blood clot, Gould said.

"We're going to be looking to find a suitable replacement,' Gould said. He expects another act could be confirmed as soon as tonight. "It's too early to say (who it might be),' he said.

The London fest will be part of a four-fest Canadian route looking for an act. "The main thing we're concerned is the health issue of this great performer,' Gould said.