Salif Keita

**Salif Keïta** (born 25 August 1949) is an African 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. He was born a traditional prince in the village of Djoliba and was cast out by his family and ostracized by the community because of his albinism, a sign of bad luck in Mandinka culture. 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.

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## Links to Kershaw

A fan of much of Keita's music, Kershaw played many of the artist's songs on his shows and invited him to do a session for his programme in 1989, where he performed four tracks. Kershaw also played a couple of tracks from Keita's live performance in Africa in 2005 as well as from his band, Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux, on his programmes.

## Sessions

1. Recorded: 1989-06-01. First Broadcast: 16 July 1989. Repeated: 01 October 1989

* Koyan / Prim Prim / Nous Pas Bouger

## Live

Recorded at Africa Live: the Roll Back Malaria Concert, held in Dakar, Senegal in March 2005. First Broadcast: 04 September 2005. Repeated: 23 July 2006

1. unknown
2. Mandjou

## Other Shows Played

1987
* 05 November 1987: Souareba (LP - Soro) Stern's Africa
* 10 December 1987: Souareba (LP - Soro) Stern's Africa
* 17 December 1987: Sina (Soumbouya) (LP - Soro) Stern's Africa

1989
* 26 January 1989: Sina (Soumbouva) (album - Soro) Stern's Africa

1991
* 16 June 1991: Nyanafin (LP - Amen) Mango
* 14 July 1991: Tono (album - Amen) Mango
* 28 July 1991: Yele N Na (album - Amen) Mango

1993
* 16 January 1993: Sali (CD - Les Ambassadeurs Internationales Featuring Salif Keita) Rounder
* 30 January 1993: Super Koulou (CD - Les Ambassadeurs Internationales Featuring Salif Keita) Rounder
* 04 December 1993: Ni Sanoubabifè (Cassette - Sirga) S.O.S. Albinos

1994
* 01 January 1994: Saly (CD - Les Ambassadeurs Internationales Featuring Salif Keita) Rounder

   1995
* 10 September 1995: Saly (CD - Les Ambassadeurs Internationales Featuring Salif Keita) Rounder
* 08 October 1995: Tekere
* 29 October 1995: Africa (CD - "Folon"...The Past) Mango

1996
* 18 February 1996: Africa
* 19 May 1996: Sali (CD - Les Ambassadeurs Internationales Featuring Salif Keita) Rounder
* 18 August 1996: Tekere
* 29 December 1996: Africa (The Jambo Sana 7" Edit) (CD single) Mango

1998
* 06 April 1998: N'Toman

1999
* 13 May 1999: Abede (CD - Papa) Metro Blue

2001
* 28 September 2001: Africa (single) Mango

2002
* 15 March 2002: Koukou (CD - Moffou) Universal Music Jazz France
* 19 April 2002: Yamore (CD - Moffou) Universal Music Jazz France
* 31 May 2002: Africa (12") Mango
* 28 June 2002: Katolon (CD - Moffou) Universal Music Jazz

2003
* 09 November 2003: Madan (CD - Moffou) Universal Music Jazz France

2004
* 04 April 2004: Africa (The Jambo Sana 7" Mix) (CD Single) Mango

2005
* 17 April 2005: Djigui (CD - The Lost Album Inédits) Cantos
* 08 May 2005: Idjo Fama (CD - The Lost Album Inédits) Cantos
* 16 October 2005: Bobo (CD - M'Bemba) Universal
* 23 October 2005: Calculer (CD - M'Bemba) Universal
* 06 November 2005: M'Bemba (CD - M'Bemba) Universal
* 11 December 2005: M'Bemba (CD - M'Bemba) Universal

2021
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 5: 4 V (CD - 69.80) Sonodisc

2022
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 11: Saly (album - Seydou Bathily) Sonodisc
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 14: Africa (12") Mango

2023
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 25 (& Jante Manfila): Djigui (album - The Lost Album) Cantos

## External Links

* Wikipedia
* Discogs
* Official Website