Salif Keita was born on August 25, 1949. He belongs to the land of Mali that has produced several stars. Today Salif Keita is widely renowned as an afro-pop singer-songwriter. He is renowned not only because of his long repertoire as the Golden Voice of Africa, but because he is a direct descendant of the originator of the Mali Empire, Sundiata Keita. His royal heritage never wanted him to be a singer. Keita was born in the city of Djoliba. He was isolated by his family and cast out by the community because he suffered of albinism, which is considered as a sign of bad luck in Mandinka civilization. He made a departure from Djoliba for Bamako in 1967, where he got together with the government sponsored Super Rail Band de Bamako. In 1973 Keita got together with the group, Les Ambassadeurs. Keita and Les Ambassadeurs fled political agitation in Mali throughout the mid-1970s for Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire and later on changed the bands name to Les Ambassadeurs Internationales. The reputation of Les Ambassadeurs Internationales sprang up to the international level in the 1970s and in 1977 Keita achieved a National Order award from the president of Guinea, Sékou Touré.

Keita made a move to Paris in 1984 to reach a greater audience. His music is a blend of traditional West African music styles with inspirations from both Europe and the Americas, while preserving an overall Islamic style. Musical instruments that are commonly displayed in Keita's work comprise balafons, djembes, guitars, koras, organs, saxophones, and synthesizers. Keita achieved success in Europe as one of the African stars of world music, but his work was sometimes picked out for the gloss of its production and for the occasional sloppy quality. However, soon after the turn of the Millennium he came back to Bamako in Mali to reside and record. His first recording after returning home was, 2002’s Moffou. This was acclaimed as his best album in many years, and Keita was enthralled by the positive responses and decided to build a recording studio in Bamako, where he recorded his latest album, M'Bemba, that was issued in October 2005. Presently he is working on new material. And his devoted fans are eagerly waiting for his next album as well as live performances.

Discography • Soro - 1987 - Mango • Ko-Yan - 1989 - Mango • Amen - 1991 - Mango • Destiny of a Noble Outcast - 1991 - PolyGram • Folon - 1995 - Mango • Rail Band - 1996 - Melodie • Seydou Bathili - 1997 - Sonodisc • Papa - 1999 - Blue Note • Mama - 2000 - Capitol • Sosie - 2001 - Mellemfolkeligt • Moffou - 2002 - Universal Jazz France • The Best of the Early Years - 2002 - Wrasse • Remixes from Moffou - 2004 - Universal Jazz France • M'Bemba - 2005 - Universal Jazz France • The Lost Album - 2006 - Cantos

"Society is our own impartial enigma. Salif Keita are the purple idea that I know. A adult on the cafeteria is itchy. Recent thought on Salif Keita has been a real eye-opener for society from young to old."