Three cities that make beautiful music

DAKAR, SENEGAL
Why
Historically a melting pot of indigenous music, Dakar now reinvents international beats. The capital specializes in Afro-Cuban salsa, world jazz, mixed Wolof and French hip-hop, zouk (from the Caribbean, by way of Cape Verde), and mbalax, a form of pop incorporating Wolof drum beats. Hear them performed live at Just 4U (Ave. Cheikh Anta Diop; 221-33-824-3250), Pen'Art (Blvd. du Sud; 221-33-864-5131), and Thiossane, mbalax king Youssou N'Dour's club (Rue 10; 221-33-824-6046).

Room
In two stone houses on Gorée Island, the Hostel-lerie du Chevalier de Boufflers combines French country elegance with Senegalese decor (221-33-822-5364; doubles, $45–$62). At downtown's Hôtel Saint-Louis Sun, charming balconied rooms overlook a shaded courtyard (221-33-822-2570; doubles, $74).

Lunch and Dinner
A griot (a musician from the storyteller caste) often plays the harplike kora at Keur N'deye, which serves classic dishes such as thieboudienne-stewed rice, fish, and vegetables (68 Rue Vinces; 221-33-821-4973; entrées, $7–$12). Women grill just-caught seafood beside picnic tables at Pointe des Almadies beach (Rte. des Almadies; no phone; entrées, $5–$10)

Tip
The Kaay Fecc (Come Dance) festival, held every June, includes a range of dance performances across town, many accompanied by excellent local musicians. Free dance workshops help attune your ear to the complex rhythms of the sabar and djimbe drums—even if you have two left feet (kaayfecc.com).

MÉRIDA, Mexico
Why
The Yucatán's cultured capital hums with free live music every night, from Mayan-style jarana rhythms to big-band swing. The grandest party is all day Sunday on the leafy main plaza, but Mérida's heart and soul come out on Thursdays for the Serenata Yucateca in Parque Santa Lucía, which is edged with arcades. That's when crooners of traditional trova, a Mérida adaptation of an old Cuban style, take the stage, and couples in white guayaberas and embroidered dresses dance to the romantic tunes.

Room
Opposite Parque Santa Lucía, Casa Lucía is a restored nineteenth-century mansion whose rooms have 20-foot ceilings, European antiques, and Persian carpets. The owner's extensive collection of modern Latin American art adorns the walls, and Café Lucía has tables in the park (474-A Calle 60; 52-999-928-0740; doubles, $120–$170).

Lunch and Dinner
Marlin Azul is the local pick for flawless seviche. The fish is trucked in from the coast every morning (488 Calle 62; no phone; entrées, $8–$12). For dinner, head to Mesón del Segoviano and snack on Spanish tapas or share the heartier lechón, a crispy-skinned leg of pork (443 Calle 50-A; 52-999-924-0055; dishes, $9–$44).

Tip
Buy vintage trova CDs at the Museo de la Canción Yucateca's gift shop (Calle 57 at Calle 50). Or arrange a personal serenade: Trios of trovadores gather on the main plaza every evening, and are for hire by the hour or by the song (about $1).

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND

Why
Liverpool's music scene continues to thrive decades after those mop tops put the city on the map, with edgy rock bands (past and present) like The Zutons, The Coral, Cast, and Echo and the Bunnymen. Musical acts—both signed and unsigned—perform every night at various venues around town (particularly in the Ropewalks district), including The Barfly (90 Seel St.; 44-151-707-6171), Korova (39-41 Fleet St.; 44-151-709-7097), and the Carling Academy (11-13 Hotham St.; 44-151-707-3200).

Room
Beatles enthusiasts will feel right at home at the new Hard Day's Night Hotel, in the Cavern quarter (44-151-236-1964; harddaysnighthotel.com; doubles, $240$277). Shaped like an ocean liner and facing the Mersey River, immortalized in the 1964 song "Ferry Cross the Mersey," is the Atlantic Tower (44-870-333-9137; thistle.com; doubles, $127).

In trendy Albert Docks, Babycream is a restaurant/club with a DJ on weekends (Atlantic Pavilion; 44-151-709-7097; entrées, $13–$35). Head to 3345 Parr Street in the city center for a drink and a meal inside one of Liverpool's iconic recording studios. The menu changes weekly to cater to the band in the studio (44-151-708-6345; entrées, $12–$19).

There's always a festival or a gig to check out in this port city. Pick up the Liverpool Echo on Fridays, when it runs its music section, or peruse the daily updates online (liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-entertainment). The paper's music columnist, Jade Wright, also keeps readers informed on her blog, musicblog.merseyblogs.co.uk.

The Splurge
Dakar
Stay at La Maison Rose when visiting the colonial capital of St-Louis for its International Jazz Festival, May 28 through 31 (221-33-938-2222; lamaisonrose.net; doubles, $175–$350).

Mérida
Order a custom shirt at Guayaberas Finas Cab. The pleated, hip-length guayabera—invented here, not in Cubais Méridas formal wear (517 Calle 60; 52-999-928-5127; from $66).

Liverpool
The Mathew Street Gallery sells prints of The Beatles by Astrid Kirchherr, Klaus Voormann, and Robert Whitaker, who hung out with the band in the 1960s (44-151-236-8066; $83–$249)