Salif Keita

Salif Keïta (born 25 August 1949) is a Malian singer-songwriter, referred to as the "Golden Voice of Africa". Many of Salif Keïta songs become very popular and trendy online with a great number of streaming and downloads on Boomplay. He is a member of the Keita royal family of Mali.

Career
Due to political unrest, Keita and his band-mates fled Mali in the mid-1970s. They settled in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where they struggled financially and often had to rent equipment to perform shows. The band (now named Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux) steadily grew in popularity in the ensuing years.Their 1978 album, Mandjou, became an overnight success in West Africa.

In 1976, Sékou Touré, the President of Guinea, made Keita an Officer of Guinea's National Order of Merit. The President had been a fan of Keita and the band's since they met at an official visit in 1974. Touré had remained a fan and supporter even after they fled Mali. Wanting to reciprocate the honour, Keita composed the track "Mandjou" (featured on the eponymous 1978 album) as a praise song for Touré.However by the time the song was released, Touré had completely resorted to authoritarian rule and plunged his country into bloodshed and chaos. Keita still performs rearranged versions of "Mandjou".

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

At that time, Keita was famous in Africa and had a strong fan base among connoisseurs around the world. Soro became his international-breakthrough album in 1987. 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 featured roiling rhythms, slightly nasal female backup choirs, and traditional percussion typical of Malian music.

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, 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, 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.

Follow Boomplay and keep up to date with the latest Salif Keïta songs and information.

Salif Keïta Discography
• Mandjou - 1978
• Seydou Bathili – 1982
• Soro – 1987
• Ko-Yan – 1989
• Amen – 1991
• 69–80 – 1994
• Folon – 1995
• Rail Band – 1996
• Seydou Bathili – 1997
• Papa – 1999
• Mama – 2000
• Sosie – 2001
• La Différence
• Talé – 2012

Salif Keïta songs are included in Boomplay music playlists. Search to stream and download Salif Keïta songs MP3/ single/ albums on the platform.