The Lost Album
Salif Keita is an icon of African music and international pop. His soaring voice draws listeners the world over, and his records Soro and Moffou are modern African classics. But this adored singer s fame does not begin with afropop--his career reaches back over 30 years, to the great popular dance bands of West Africa, where the seeds of his legend were planted. It was then that he met Guinean guitarist Kante Manfila; together they ignited a revolution in African popular music, first with the Rail Band and then with their own offshoot, the equally legendary Les Ambassadeurs. In 1980, during a sabbatical in Ivory Coast, Keita and Manfila settled on moving to something more authentic . The Lost Album is the incandescent result--an acoustic diamond from the golden age of African music. As a pair, Keita and Manfila are often cited as Africa's "Lennon & McCartney", and to hear their genius on The Lost Album only furthers that analogy. Keita's powerful, soaring vocals, Manfila's intricate, relaxed guitar work, lilting female call-and-response vocals, shimmering kora and bittersweet trumpet create a truly dramatic listening experience. To date, Keita is credited with two world music masterpieces: 1987 s Soro and 2002 s Moffou. As this musical genius legions of fans as well as music critics and new discoverers of his music will attest, we can add The Lost Album to that list. --Billboard Media Wire / White Swan