Mavis Staples comes to Portsmouth: Soul icon Mavis Staples, fresh off her recent Grammy win, will perform at The Music Hall in Portsmouth on Friday, March 25, as part of the Intimately Yours concert series.

Staples is best known for her years with family band the Staples Singers, which was active in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s and produced such enduring hits as “Respect Yourself,” “I’ll Take You There” and “Let’s Do It Again.” She has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and, in February, received a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album for 2010’s “You Are Not Alone.” 

Staples has been appearing around the nation with British folk-punk singer-songwriter Billy Bragg during their joint Hope, Love & Justice tour. Bragg was scheduled to appear with Staples in Portsmouth but canceled after his mother passed away recently.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. on March 25 at The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, 603-436-2400, www.themusichall.org. Tickets are $50 to $38.

Caribbean dance party for Haiti: An upcoming concert in downtown Portsmouth will raise money for students at a school in Haiti. Boston-based Latin band Combo Sabroso will hold its second annual Caribbean Nights Dance Party at the VFW Hall on Saturday, April 2.

All proceeds from the show will help provide meals for the students at the Eben Ezer School in Milot, Haiti. A slideshow will precede the music, featuring pictures taken by Seacoast students and others who have traveled to the school to conduct volunteer work within the last year. 

Combo Sabroso held its first Caribbean Nights Dance Party just two months after a devastating earthquake ravaged Haiti last year. The student population at the Eben Ezer School has been growing steadily since the quake. 

The event begins at 7 p.m. on April 2 at VFW Post 168, 238 Deer St., Portsmouth. Tickets are $20, available at the Black Bean in Rollinsford, Ceres Bakery in Portsmouth, RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth, Nature’s Way in South Berwick, Full Circle Community Thrift Store in Eliot, and Fair Tide Thrift Store in Kittery. For more information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

Going crazy for Patsy in Rochester: Fans of late country legend Patsy Cline will have a chance to hear her music performed live at the Rochester Opera House. Tribute artist Sherrill Douglas will return to the venue with her Crazy ’Bout Patsy act on Friday, April 15.

A Texas native, Douglas has been singing since she was 6 years old and began impersonating Cline when she was 10. She performs classics like “Fall to Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams” and “Crazy” with authentic costumes and strong vocals. Her act made her a hit at the Opera House during a concert last year.

The show begins at 7 p.m. on April 15 at the Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 603-335-1992, www.rochesteroperahouse.com. Tickets are $24 to $17.