Following the Lincoln Center Out of Doors bonanza a few days prior, the Festival au Désert brings a similarly stunning lineup to a relatively intimate venue. In the headline slot, the hypnotic Tuareg collective Tartit comprises six women and five men who, until the rebellion in Mali last year, lived in Timbuktu. Setting the stage, Malian bluesman Mamadou Kelly is renowned for his work with Ali Farka Touré, while Indian-Canadian singer Kiran Ahluwalia sets Punjabi poetry to her own sumptuous musical arrangements; her latest album, the funky Aam Zameen, mines a Sahara Desert–blues vibe and features members of Tinariwen.