Salif Keita

Salif Keïta (IPA: [salif keita]) (born August 25, 1949) is an afro-pop singer-songwriter from Mali. He is notable not only because of his reputation as the "Golden Voice of Africa" but also because he has albinism. He is a member of the Keita royal family of Mali.

For other people named Salif Keita, see Salif Keita (disambiguation).
Salif Keita
Keita in 2015, Festival Internacional Cervantino, Mexico.
Background information
Born (1949-08-25) August 25, 1949
OriginDjoliba, Mali
GenresAfro-pop
Occupation(s)Singer

Biography

Early life

Salif Keita was born a traditional prince in the village of Djoliba.[1] He was cast out by his family and ostracized by the community because of his albinism, a sign of bad luck in Mandinka culture.[2] In 1967, he left Djoliba for Bamako, where he joined the government-sponsored Super Rail Band de Bamako. In 1973 Keita joined the group, Les Ambassadeurs. Keita and Les Ambassadeurs fled political unrest in Mali during the mid-1970s for Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and subsequently changed the group's name to "Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux". The reputation of Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux rose to the international level in the 1970s, and in 1977 Keita received a National Order award from the president of Guinea, Sékou Touré.

He is the father of Paralympian athlete Nantenin Keita.[3]

Career

Keita moved to Paris in 1984 to reach a larger audience. His music combines traditional West African music styles with influences from both Europe and the Americas.

Although Keita was famous in Africa and had achieved a strong fan base among connoisseurs around the world, in 1987, Soro became his international-breakthrough album. The project was produced by Ibrahima Sylla, a visionary who had already discovered dozens of African stars (and would later become the driving force behind Africando). The arrangements feature the roiling rhythms, slightly nasal female backup choirs, and traditional percussion typical of Malian music.[4]

Musical instruments that are commonly featured in Keita's work include balafons, djembes, guitars, koras, organs, saxophones, and synthesizers. He performed at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert in 1988 to call for Nelson Mandela's release from prison. In 1990, Keita contributed "Begin the Beguine" to the Cole Porter tribute/AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Blue, produced by the Red Hot Organization.

Keita found success in Europe as one of the African stars of world music, but his work was sometimes criticised for the gloss of its production and for the occasional haphazard quality. However, shortly after the turn of the millennium he returned to Bamako in Mali to live and record. His first work after going home, 2002's Moffou, was hailed as his best album in many years,[5] and Keita was inspired to build a recording studio in Bamako, which he used for his album M'Bemba, released in October 2005.

Guest artists on his albums have included Weather Report founders Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter, drummer Paco Sery, guitarist Carlos Santana, and percussionist Bill Summers.

Keita's album La Différence was produced around the end of 2009. The work is dedicated to the struggle of the world albino community (victims of human sacrifice), for which Keita has been crusading all his life. In one of the album's tracks, the singer calls others to understand that "difference" does not mean "bad" and to show love and compassion towards albinos like everyone else: "I am black/ my skin is white/ so I am white and my blood is black [albino]/...I love that because it is a difference that's beautiful", "some of us are beautiful some are not/some are black some are white/all that difference was on purpose...for us to complete each other/let everyone get his love and dignity/the world will be beautiful."

La Différence was recorded between Bamako, Beirut, Paris, and Los Angeles. This unique musical feel is reinforced by soulful pitches in the track "Samigna" emanating from the trumpet of the great Lebanese jazzman Ibrahim Maalouf.

In 2001, Keita's song "Tomorrow" was featured in the Will Smith film Ali.

La Différence won Keita one of the biggest musical awards of his career: the Best World Music 2010 at the Victoires de la musique.

In 2013, after what he described as "threats" from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign, he cancelled a performance in Israel.[6] He later published a letter on his Facebook page, stating that he decided to cancel the event because he was scared of "being harmed personally or professionally", but clarified that he still "love[d] Israel", slamming BDS as an "extremist group" who used "scare tactics and bullying".[7]

In late October 2017, it was announced that Salif Keita will release a new album "soon".[8]

In November 2018 he announced his retirement from recording. This was at a concert in Fana, Mali. The album 'Un Autre Blanc',which was released at the concert would be his last.[9]

Discography
  • Seydou Bathili – 1982
    Keita at Womad 2010, Charlton Park, England
  • Soro – 1987 – Mango
  • Ko-Yan – 1989 – Mango
  • Amen – 1991 – Mango
  • Destiny of a Noble Outcast – 1991 – PolyGram
  • 69–80 – 1994 – Sonodisc
  • Folon – 1995 – Mango
  • Rail Band – 1996 – Melodie
  • Seydou Bathili – 1997 – Sonodisc
  • Papa – 1999 – Blue Note
  • Mama – 2000 – Capitol
  • The Best of Salif Keita – 2001 – Wrasse Records
  • Sosie – 2001 – Mellemfolkeligt
  • Moffou – 2002 – Universal Jazz France
  • Salif Keita The Best of the Early Years – 2002 – Wrasse Records
  • Remixes from Moffou – 2004 – Universal Jazz France
  • M'Bemba – 2005 – Universal Jazz France
  • The Lost Album – 1980 (reissued 2005) – Cantos
  • La Différence – 2009 – Emarcy
  • Talé – 2012 – with Philippe Cohen-Solal
  • Un Autre Blanc – 2018 Naïve Records

Many compilations are available as well[10]

Singles
  • Yamore (2002) (with Cesaria Evora)

Music videos
Year Video
2002 "Yamore" (with Cesaria Evora)
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gollark: Well, the GTech™ LTS one uses 1, 2 or 4.
gollark: You can grep more easily.

References
  1. Lindiwe Dovey African Film and Literature: Adapting Violence to the Screen 2009 – Page 268 "He describes the first screening of La Genèse in Mali, in Salif Keïta's home village (Djoliba), as one entailing ... Sissoko says that the violence between farmers and stockbreeders in Salif Keïta's region, and the state violence against nomadic ..."
  2. "Artist Profile – Salif Keita". Archived from the original on March 24, 2006.
  3. "Quatre filles handicapées en or". Le Parisien (in French). November 20, 2008.
  4. AllMusic review
  5. Denselow, Robin (April 5, 2002). "The African King". The Guardian. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  6. Ali Abunimah (August 22, 2013). "Afropop star Salif Keita cancels Israel gig after boycott calls". electronicintifada.net. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  7. Bederman, Diane (2013) The Group Scaring Celebs Away From Israel HuffPost
  8. "Salif Keita Official Fan Page". Facebook.com. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  9. "Salif Keita's incomparable call". africasacountry.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  10. Salif Keita Discography Compiled by Graeme Counsel , Radio Africa. Retrieved 20 April 2009

Further reading
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