Late in 2007, British soul singer Estelle’s plea — well, demand really — to be taken cross-country by some Yankee dude could be heard across the U.S, and the people loved it. That first single, “American Boy”, featuring Kanye West, became a multi-platinum hit stateside for the half Senegalese-half Grenadian singer who signed to long-time collaborator John Legend’s Homeschool Records last year.

Estelle, 28, has her own brand of soul, mixing electronic, hip hop and reggae-dub stylings on her upcoming album Shine, which will be released in the U.S. tomorrow, April 29.

Until then, Estelle will be bringing her Brit groove across the pond to New York’s Highline Ballroom tonight as part of her Shine tour. The girl’s got presence and a strong voice that is sure to please as much as her hit single.

For more info on Estelle, click here and for tix, click here.

Estelle
Highline Ballroom
431 W 16th St
Between 9th and 10th Ave

Watch out! Once you’ve heard her terribly catchy and sexy sound you’ll be caught. But who exactly is DJ Missill? DJ, VJ, producer, graphic designer?

As a “self-made woman”, Missill has built her own private Idaho that she is willing to share with dance clubbers. Her universe is composed of hip hop and electro bits mixed with animé characters.

Nicknamed the “Urban punk” by British media, she hit definitely her target earlier this year with well-named album “Targets,” adding to her usual signature a dose of ragga breakbeat and stings of rock. Her ultimate mission: to win over your hearts…

The fourth annual PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature is going on from Tuesday, April 29th through Sunday, May 4th. 181 writers from 51 countries are participating in 82 events in New York. I think you should be able to find one or two that appeal to you. Go here for more information on the festival, and here for a full schedule of events.

Also this week:

Tuesday, April 29, 7:30pm
Housing Works Used Bookstore & Café (126 Crosby St.)
Circumference: A Journal of Poetry in Translation

Close out Poetry Month by attending this reading from the newest issue of Circumference, which, as the byline suggests, is a literary journal featuring poetry in translation. Brian Henry will read his reads his translations of Tomaz Salamun and Ales Steger from the Slovenian; Christina Svendsen will read translations of Kurt Schwitters from German, Jeffrey Yang will read his treanslation of Su Shi from Chinese, and Bitite Vinklers will read translations of Imants Ziedonis from Latvian. To be followed with a Q + A and signing.

Friday, May 2, 7:00pm
McNally Robinson (52 Prince Street between Lafayette and Mulberry)
Jonathan Lethem and DJ Spooky

It’s a night of music and language at McNally on Friday. Jonathan Lethem (author of Motherless Brooklyn and The Fortress of Solitude) is reading from his latest novel, his latest novel, You Don’t Love Me Yet, now out in paperback if you were waiting to read it until then. Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid, will read from Sound Unbound, a meditation on the remix.