The Slide Brothers fuse steel with gospel, Etana brings the roots back to reggae, Duke Levine steps out on his own, and much, much more this month.

By Noah Schaffer.

Jullie Fowlis performs at the MFA this month.

April 2 and 9: Guitarist Duke Levine is so busy making others like Peter Wolf, Dennis Brennan, and Roy Sludge sound good that he rarely convenes his own band. But he’s bringing his instrumental combo—which also features lap steel master Kevin Barry—to Atwoods Tavern in Cambridge, MA. Expect everything from spooky exotica to straight up country pickin’.

April 5: No one can destroy an audience like Boston’s all-time ruler of rockin’ soul Barrence Whitfield. In recent years, he’s also made notable forays into acoustic country and swing, but the name of his backing band at Johnny D’s in Somerville, MA, Four Wild Guys, hints that this won’t be a sit-down affair.

April 5: Long before the dawn of salsa the folkloric story songs of plena and bomba were heard throughout Puerto Rico. Los Pleneros de la 21 have kept that tradition alive through workshops, concerts, and recordings for the Smithsonian Folkways label. They’ll be making a rare stop in Boston at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts.

April 5: From the Jim Kweskin Jug Band to the Avett Brothers, every generation of folk fans seems to have its favorite rag-tag string band. Much of the current buzz is centered around Spirit Family Reunion, a high energy, down-home, Brooklyn outfit that was rumored to be a highlight of last year’s Newport Folk Festival. They’ll bring their house party-style show to the Sinclair Kitchen in Cambridge, MA.

Freedy Johnston appears at Passim this month.

April 6: Freedy Johnston had a brief run as a college radio favorite in the mid-’90s, but his shows at sonically-challenged indie rock clubs failed to give his wry lyrics the showcase they deserved. His gig at Passim in Cambridge, MA finds him in a more appropriate setting.

April 6: The range of music found across Columbia is staggering. Take Cimarrón, which plays the polyrhythmic waltzing music known as joropo and which features the harp as one of its primary lead instruments. They make their Boston debut at Johnny D’s in Somerville, MA, via World Music.

April 10: Anais Mitchell has been widely praised for her original songs, but her latest project finds her and cohort Jefferson Hamer dipping into the book of traditional ballads collected by Francis James Child. They’ll be at Passim in Cambridge, MA, for two shows: the early one is already sold out.

April 11: One of Scotland’s purist voices, Julie Fowlis widened her appeal considerably when she was tapped to sing on the soundtrack for the Pixar/Disney film Brave. She’ll be at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA.

April 12: When the Mavericks split in 2004, they left behind a great legacy that stretched from traditional country to mambo and ska. Lead singer Raul Malo enjoyed a solid solo career, but now the Nashville iconoclasts have patched things up, released a great new recording, and returned to the road. They’re at the Royale Nightclub in Boston, MA.

o’death where is thy sting? At TT the Bear’s

April 12: Reggae songstress Etana has quickly risen to become one of Jamaica’s most poetic and soulful voices, capable of moving huge festival crowds with her acoustic guitar alone. She’ll be at Kay’s Oasis & Function Hall in Dorchester, MA as part of a show promoted by veteran reggae radio personality and sound system operator Junior Rodigan. Rodigan is also involved in an April 25 appearance by dancehall superstar Movado at the Wonderland Ballroom in Revere, MA.

April 13: Yes, he was a Monkee, but Mike Nesmith was also a country-rock pioneer, penning tunes like the Stone Pony’s “Different Drum” and his own “Joanne.” After decades out of the spotlight, he’s finally emerged for a solo tour that will hopefully include many of the rootsy classics he recorded with the First National Band. He’s at the Somerville Theater, Somerville, MA.

April 17: Instead of choirs and organs, the music heard inside the churches of the Keith Dominion features the wailing, other-worldly sound of the steel guitar. In the past decade, the music has caught on with secular audiences as well, in large part thanks to popular jam band musician Robert Randolph. Now four of the greatest practitioners of “sacred steel”—Chuck and Darik Campbell, Aubrey Ghent, and Calvin Cooke—have now joined forces as the Slide Brothers. Their show at Johnny D’s should be a scorcher.

April 21: Despite his deservedly iconic status as a freedom fighter, Hugh Masekela musical career is uneven. Some of his releases have veered frustratingly close to smooth jazz. But in recent years, he’s drifted back to the South Africans he grew up on, so his performance for World Music at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston, MA, should provide music worth dancing to and thinking about.

The Slide Brothers. Photo: Brad Gregory.

April 24: New York’s o’death may have a fiddle and a banjo, but they hardly resemble a traditional bluegrass band. Instead, the thoughtful combo constantly experiment with new texture and influences. They celebrate their 10th anniversary with a tour that comes to TT the Bear’s in Cambridge, MA.

April 24–30: The Boston Independent Film Festival always showcases some fascinating music documentaries. This year its selections include Narco Cultura, which examines the influence of the drug trade on the Mexican music industry and Muscle Shoals, a look at the legendary soul music studio. Exact film times and locations have yet to be announced, and the festival takes place at several area cinemas. Best to check the festival’s website.

April 27: One of reggaeton’s slickest duos are Rakim y Ken-Y, who’ve brought the love song to a musical genre not known for its tender side. The “duo romantico” will perform their hits at the Wonderland Ballroom in Revere, MA.