The Story of Malian music star, Salif Keita
In a recent interview with Jabulani Radio, one physically disabled musician recounted every detail of his musical journey, explaining how he had a difficult childhood. However, he later requested that nothing about his disability be included in his story.
This is clear evidence that, despite living in a more enlightened society, disability is still viewed through the same lens as it was in the past, when communities hid such children under the assumption that they were bad omens or brought shame to the family. These are the kinds of challenges that Salif Keita faced. Social ostracism, health complications due to albinism, and being born into a royal family were some of the obstacles that could have hindered Keita’s rise to musical stardom, but they didn’t.
The Malian music icon's path to fame was not deterred by the luxury of royalty nor the stigma of albinism. He overcame both and achieved his dreams. Talent is often shaped by hardship and poverty. Many great footballers, athletes, and musicians have come from slums rather than affluent neighborhoods. In this sense, Keita's royal lineage may have been more of a burden than a blessing. Among the Mandinka community where he was born, albinism is considered a bad omen. This made his childhood especially difficult. But young Keita persevered and triumphed against the odds.
He was born on August 25, 1949, in Djoliba, Mali, and attended a Muslim school until 1967. He then left his village for the capital, Bamako, where he began his music career by joining the Super Rail Band de Bamako. This group later rebranded in the early 1970s as Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux. The band fled political persecution in Mali and relocated to the Ivory Coast. It was there that they gained international fame, particularly with the success of their 1978 album Mandjou.
This album was a tribute to Sekou Touré, then President of Guinea and one of Keita’s greatest fans. Ironically, Touré was also known for his authoritarian rule, contradicting the praise in the song. This pattern has repeated with other leaders in the region. Many of those celebrated in musicians’ compositions later turned out to be despots, such as Mobutu, Idi Amin, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, and Omar Bongo.
However, not all leaders followed that path. Nelson Mandela, the father of the rainbow nation, was also celebrated in song, and even after rising to power, he did not become a tyrant. In 1984, Keita relocated to Paris, drawn by the promise of better recording equipment and broader exposure. As is often the case when one moves away from home, he brought elements of his culture with him. West African musical influences remained central to his sound.
Soro, produced by the renowned Ibrahim Sylla, became an instant international hit, solidifying Keita's position as one of Africa’s greatest musicians. A defining moment in his career came in 1988 when he was invited to perform at a birthday celebration for Nelson Mandela, who at that time had been imprisoned for 25 years. As apartheid began to crumble under pressure from both internal and international forces, events like this were vital. Many musicians became ambassadors for freedom and critics of injustice, using their art to campaign against oppression and colonialism.
With the fame he gained in Paris, Salif Keita, descended from the Keita royal family, eventually returned home to Mali to continue advancing his music. When he returned to Bamako in 2000, greater musical success awaited him. Now Mali’s most celebrated musician and an international icon, he established a recording studio where he produced some of his most popular work.
The album Moffou was a tremendous success, followed by M'Bemba. Having lived with albinism—a genetic condition that causes a lack of melanin, leading to visual impairment, skin cancer risk, and social stigma- Keita used his platform to spotlight these challenges in his album La Différence.
In Africa, albinism is still linked to harmful superstitions, including associations with witchcraft. In some regions, witch doctors have falsely claimed that albino body parts bring good luck, leading to abductions and violence. La Différence was a critical effort to raise awareness and combat these myths. These superstitions are rooted in ignorance, just like the short-lived myth in 1990s Tanzania that bald men had gold in their skulls, which led to fear, abductions, and murder. Salif did not merely rise to become a music legend; he became a beacon of hope for people with disabilities, particularly those with albinism. His journey parallels that of Jamaican dancehall musician Yellowman, who also battled stigma due to albinism and emerged victorious.
Salif Keita is not only a composer, arranger, and singer; he is also a skilled guitarist known for his acoustic performances. He incorporates traditional instruments like the kora and balafon into his music, enriching it with cultural depth. Keita announced his retirement from music in 2015. He has also been active in politics, serving in Mali’s legislative assembly and later as an advisor to the ruling junta under Colonel Assimi Goïta.
By Jerome Ogola
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