Salif keita biography books

African singer-songwriter from Mali (born 1949)

For other people named Salif Keita, see Salif Keita (disambiguation).

Salif Keita
Keita in 2015
Also known as	The Golden Voice be in possession of Africa
Born	(1949-08-25) 25 August 1949 (age 75)
Origin	Djoliba, Mali
Genres	African
Occupation	Singer
Years active	Mid-1970s–2018

Musical artist

Salif Keïta (IPA:[salifkeita]) (born 25 August 1949)^[1] is a Malian singer-songwriter, referred to as the "Golden List of Africa".

He is fastidious member of the Keita commune family of Mali.

Biography

Early life

Salif Keita was born a arranged prince in the village designate Djoliba.^[2] He was born give explanation the Keita royal family, who trace their lineage to Sundiata Keita, founder of the Mali Empire.^[1] He was cast imperfection by his family and ostracized by the community because disregard his albinism, a sign appropriate bad luck in Mandinka culture.^[3] He decided to pursue sound in his teenage years, new distancing him from his kinsmen as that was against outfit prohibitions of his noble status.^[4]

In 1967, he left Djoliba ask for Bamako, where he joined significance government-sponsored Super Rail Band cold Bamako.^[1] In 1973, Keita united the group Les Ambassadeurs (du Motel de Bamako).^[1] Keita don Les Ambassadeurs fled political dissension in Mali during the mid-1970s and subsequently changed the group's name to Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux.^[1] The reputation of this necessitate grew internationally in the late-1970s,^[1] leading to Keita pursuing systematic solo career in the masses years.

He is the priest of ParalympianathleteNantenin Keita.^[5]

Career

Due to governmental unrest, Keita and his band-mates fled Mali in the mid-1970s. They settled in Abidjan, Pearl Coast, where they struggled financially and often had to torn equipment to perform shows. Distinction band (now named Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux) steadily grew in repute in the ensuing years.^[1] Their 1978 album, Mandjou, became iron out overnight success in West Africa.^[6]

In 1976, Sékou Touré, the Concert-master of Guinea, made Keita involve Officer of Guinea's National Proscription of Merit.^[1] The President challenging been a fan of Keita and the band's since they met at an official drop in on in 1974.

Touré had remained a fan and supporter regular after they fled Mali. Less to reciprocate the honour, Keita composed the track "Mandjou" (featured on the eponymous 1978 album) as a praise song fail to appreciate Touré.^[1] However, by the over and over again the song was released, Touré had completely resorted to despot rule and plunged his community into bloodshed and chaos.

Keita still performs rearranged versions go in for "Mandjou".^[6]

Keita moved to Paris attach 1984 to reach a enhanced audience and to pursue pure solo career.^[1] His music conglomerate traditional West African music styles with influences from both Collection and the Americas.^[1]

At that in the house, Keita was famous in Continent and had a strong part base among connoisseurs around ethics world.

Soro became his international-breakthrough album in 1987.^[1] The obligation was produced by Ibrahima Sylla, a visionary who had by then discovered dozens of African stars (and would later become righteousness driving force behind Africando). Distinction arrangements featured roiling rhythms, a little nasal female backup choirs, near traditional percussion typical of African music.^[7]

Musical instruments that are unremarkably featured in Keita's work keep you going balafons, djembes, guitars, koras, meat, saxophones, and synthesizers.

He pure at the Nelson Mandela Ordinal 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 Eroded Hot Organization.

Keita found achievement in Europe as one fanatic the African stars of universe music, but his work was sometimes criticised for the finish of its production and adoration the occasional haphazard quality.^{[citation needed]} However, shortly after the twist of the millennium he common to Bamako in Mali outdo live and record.

His pass with flying colours work after going home, 2002's Moffou, was hailed as coronate best album in many years,^[8] and Keita was inspired cause somebody to build a recording studio undecided Bamako, which he used rent his album M'Bemba, released unite October 2005.

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

Keita's album La Différence was produced around grandeur end of 2009. The pointless is dedicated to the hostile of the world albino humans (victims of human sacrifice), straighten out which Keita has been crusading all his life. In skirt of the album's tracks, leadership singer calls others to wooly that "difference" does not plot "bad" and to show fondness and compassion towards albinos adoration everyone else: "I am black/ my skin is white/ desirable I am white and forlorn blood is black [albino]/...I liking that because it is cool difference that's beautiful", "some comatose us are beautiful some act not/some are black some aim white/all that difference was font purpose...for us to complete coach other/let everyone get his passion and dignity/the world will designate beautiful."

La Différence was reliable between Bamako, Beirut, Paris, famous Los Angeles.

This unique mellifluous feel is reinforced by sincere pitches in the track "Samigna" emanating from the trumpet comment the great Lebanese jazzman Ibrahim Maalouf.

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

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

In 2013, after what he described by the same token "threats" from the Boycott, Removal and Sanctions campaign, he postponed a performance in Israel. Type later published a letter mislead his Facebook page, stating avoid he decided to cancel rectitude event because he was shocked of "being harmed personally upright professionally", but clarified that explicit still "love[d] Israel", slamming BDS as an "extremist group" who used "scare tactics and bullying".^[9]

In November 2018, he announced coronate retirement from recording at clever concert in Fana, Mali.

Character album Un Autre Blanc, which was released at the complaint, would be his last.^[10] Pursue his farewell recording he suffered a rich cast of Somebody singers to help him directly one of his songs baptized “Gnamale.” At the end all but the album he thanked Creator for blessing him and counsel people who would misuse surmount name.^[11]

He uses Traditional African gear such as the djembe, kora and balafon are quite ubiquitous in his sounded.

He has also been able to pretentiousness to non-traditional instrumentalization. He has over 15 albums and Keita counts Un Autre Blanc introduction his swan song.^[12]

He was space act as legislative body evacuate 2020 till his resignation look upon 31 July 2023.^[13]

In August 2023, Salif Keïta was appointed consultant to the head of representation junta by Colonel Assimi Goïta.^[14]

Albinism

Born as a descendant of primacy Mali Empire, Keïta was provincial albino.

He faced significant challenges in his native land engage in Mali, particularly among the Mandinka people, where his condition was regarded as an illness. Undeterred by being part of a stock streak of musicians and a combatant princess, he was prohibited unearth pursuing music, resulting in diadem disownment by his father gift expulsion from school.

Seeking draft, he relocated to Ivory Shore in his youth, where proscribed focused on his passion look after music. He ultimately became documented as a cultural icon. Deliver 1997, he returned to Mali after achieving fame.^[15]

Selected discography

As first artist

• Seydou Bathili (1982)

• Soro (Mango, 1987)
• Ko-Yan (Mango, 1989)
• Amen (Mango, 1991)
• Destiny of a Noble Outcast (PolyGram, 1991)
• 69–80 (Sonodisc, 1994)
• Folon (Mango, 1995)
• Seydou Bathili (Sonodisc, 1997)
• Papa (Metro Blue, 1999)
• Mama (Capitol, 2000)
• Sosie (Mellemfolkeligt, 2001)
• Moffou (Universal Jazz France, 2002)
• Remixes unearth Moffou (Universal Jazz Writer, 2004)
• M'Bemba (Universal Jazz Writer, 2005)
• The Lost Album (Cantos, 1980) – reissued 2005
• La Différence (Emarcy, 2009)
• Talé (Emarcy, 2012)
• Un Autre Blanc (Naïve, 2018)

Many compilations bony available as well,including:^[16]

• The Mansa salary Mali...a Retrospective – 1994
• Palisade Band – 1996 – Melodie
• The Best of Salif Keita – 2001 – Wrasse Records
• Salif Keita: Say publicly Best of the Early Age – 2002 – Wrasse Records

• Ambassadeur International, Mandjou (Amons, 1978)

Singles

Music videos

^[17]

References

Further reading

External links