Salif Keïta

Born in 1949 in Djoliba, Mali, Salif Keïta belongs to the Manding tradition while developing an Afro‑pop style that blends griot heritage, Western influences and urban sounds. Marked by a princely family background and by albinism, he turned to singing early and joined the Rail Band of Bamako in the early 1970s, later continuing with Les Ambassadeurs, a group that relocated to Abidjan and performed across West African stages. From the second half of the 1980s Keïta launched a solo career with albums such as “Soro” (1987), “Ko‑Yan” (1989) and “Amen” (1991), which established a sound in which kora lines, electric guitars, brass and percussion support a high, expressive voice. Albums like “Folon… The Past” (1995), “Papa” (1999), “Moffou” (2002) and “M’Bemba” (2005) extended this mixture of Manding rhythms, pop, jazz touches and occasionally subtle electronic textures. Subsequently, Salif Keïta continued to explore these crosscurrents on “La Différence” (2009), “Talé” (2012) and “Un autre blanc” (2018), while increasing international collaborations and projects focused on memory, identity and the condition of people with albinism in Africa.