Salif Keita Albums (10)
What The Critics Say
The Lost Album resurrects six lengthy and largely acoustic tracks recorded in 1980 by West African singer Salif Keita and his longtime collaborator, guitarist Kante Manfila. Musical partners since the late '60s, first in the Rail Band and then in Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux, Keita and Manfila seem to be moving away from that group's somewhat westernized Afro-pop sound with these sessions. This is not to say that these are all traditional African musical forms: although the hypnotic "Toura Makan" sounds like it could have fit on one of the Nonesuch Explorers collections, Manfila's opening showcase "I Djo Fama" begins with a double-tracked acoustic guitar figure that's been processed to sound like Mike Oldfield's trademark half-speed guitar experiments. The arrangements are stripped down and the production medium-fi at best; some percussion, kalimba, a bit of trumpet, and a female vocal chorus make occasional appearances (frustratingly, there are no personnel or recording credits), but throughout, the focus remains on Keita's spellbinding vocals. Free of the synthesized gloss of his breakthrough solo albums from later in the decade, The Lost Album features a young Keita in a slightly rougher but warmly intimate musical setting. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Grammy nominated West African artist, Salif Keita, whose voice The Washington Post once declared as "one other mortals can only aspire to" returned after many years to Bamako, Mali to record M'Bemba, a remarkable, multifaceted collection which beautifully blends native choirs (comprised of his foster sisters), rolling hypnotic guitars, happily dancing percussion, and such indigenous instruments as ngoni lute and kora. These evoke the memory of Keita's ancestor, Sundiata Keita, the warrior king who founded the Mandingo Empire in the 13th century. Over the course of an hour, Keita -- whose globally successful 35-year career has somewhat offset the hardships he's faced in his homeland being an albino and a musician -- weaves a true tapestry of all of his favorite global influences. These include rock, soul, French chanson, and Afro-Cuban rhythms, all stirred up around his deep, guttural vocals, echoing chants, the seductive, jangling guitars, and a variety of earthy grooves. On the gentler reflections, like the opening track "Bobo," and the sweet, anthemic title track (enhanced by the female chorus), there's a hauntingly beautiful sense of history mixed with struggle and, ultimately, optimism. While the album will mostly be enjoyed by fans of real-deal African music, newcomers will hopefully be inspired to begin mining Keita's rich history as both a musician and a survivor. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
'Moffou'
Release Date 3/26/2002
Tracks 10
Label Polygram International
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Sometimes a return to basics can be the best way for an artist to move forward. For Salif Keita, that's definitely the case with Moffou. In spite of using a hefty number of musicians (17, plus six backing vocalists), the sound is very stripped-down. Even the supple electric guitar work of Djeli Moussa Kouyaté is mellow and low-key. The real beauty here is Keita's voice, carefully framed and used to maximum effect. High, almost piercing, it's a gorgeous instrument that can ride and transform a melody, whether the lulling gentleness of "Yamore" or the more upbeat -- but never frenzied -- "Iniagige." Overall, it's a record of swaying, seductive gentleness, one perfectly suited to Keita's style. After a few artistic missteps, he needs an album like this to reaffirm who he is and give a renewal to his sound. While it's strongly rooted, it's by no means strictly a Malian roots album; that's never been all of his music by any means. While ineffably West African, there's a lovely light sheen to the production that could only be European, and serves the sound well, smoothing it out but never losing the intimate flavor that's at the album's heart. Moffou reaffirms Keita's star status, and his reputation as one of the world's most glorious voices. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
From the king of African pop vocals comes this album, his debut on Blue Note's Metro Blue sub-label. As one would expect, the vocals are outstanding. The mildly surprising part here is in the instrumentation; Keita seems to have reverted to the slightly slicker production sounds that he had gone away from for a couple of albums. He does make use of a couple of traditional instrumentalists in the outstanding choices of Toumani Diabate on kora and Keletigui Diabate on balafon. These musicians are, however, often overshadowed on this album by the combination of thumping guitars and bass. This is largely traditional music instrumentally, but the lyrics still deal with the age-old topics of love and love lost, the sad state of the modern world, and the pain of family deaths (such as the title track). This music might not be the most adventuresome that Keita has made, but it's still quite listenable, with relatively slick production powering the final product into a nice package that's ready for the relaxation of the average listener. This is light vocal pop music with touches of traditional instruments where necessary to keep just a bit of the traditional sounds in the background. Pick it up as a fan of Keita's sound, but not necessarily as one wishing to delve into the traditional sounds of Mali on their own. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The question, of course, is why? It may be fashionable to remix everything in sight, but that doesn't mean it's always a good idea. Keita garnered universally good reviews for his Moffou release, a return to African roots after wandering through the elliptical, dangerous woods of fusion music. It worked perfectly well as it was -- it didn't need to be tinkered with. Even worse, there's no subtlety about any of the work here; half of the pieces sound like they've been tossed off during a coffee break from more lucrative projects, with on-the-cheap beats and ambience that would make Brian Eno laugh. This isn't a disc that needs a �groove" or a �tribal sound"; what it needed was to be left alone. Proceed at your own peril, and remember, abandon hope all ye who enter here. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Everything about this African singer/songwriter is striking. An albino with a gritty voice that transcends classification, he spins dance tracks that reveal a dedication to tradition and passion. A unique treat. ~ Tim Sheridan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
An early-'90s album from the great Salif Keita. This one pulls out all the stops to appeal to a Western audience at some level. Keita's vocals are, as always, outstanding. On top of this, though, a slew of performers make appearances and/or help out on production. Former bandmate Kante Manfila provides the primary guitar work for the album and master keyboardist Joe Zawinul both plays keyboards throughout and provides the production work. Also, balafon master Keletegui Diabate provides some outstanding work where needed. To top this, both Carlos Santana and Wayne Shorter make appearances on their respective instruments within the structure of the album. As would be expected, then, the album sounds wonderful. Zawinul's production shies away from being overly glossy, but has enough doctoring to blend the sounds together in just the right way. As far as Keita albums are concerned, this is one of the best, and as far as Afro-pop is concerned, this is also one of the best. Anyone looking to break into Afro-pop should pick this album up, as it combines the work of a true vocal master with the work of a number of musicians (Western and African) of the highest caliber to create a seamless work on the whole. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Salif Keita's success story reads like an improbable historical novel. Born in Mali and descended from a famous warrior king of the Manding Empire, Keita is an albino, which is still considered bad luck in many parts of Africa. He was ostracized from birth, and his childhood was marred by his father's oft-expressed revulsion. Although it was considered shameful for people of his caste to become entertainers, he must have felt that he didn't have much lose, so he migrated to the capitol city of Bamako bent on a career as a singer. After epochal stints fronting bands like Rail Band and les Ambassadeurs, he moved to Paris during the mid-'80s. His reputation had proceeded him, and he quickly became a fixture on the flourishing African music circuit. Although he was famous in Africa and had achieved a strong fan base among connoisseurs around the world, Soro was his international breakthrough album. 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 the roiling rhythms, slightly nasal female backup choirs, and traditional percussion typical of Malian music. But these were nearly overwhelmed by attack-trained brass charts, rocked-out electric guitars, overtly synthetic keyboards, and programmed drums. In retrospect, only a voice as powerful as Keita's could have not only managed to cut through the din but make an ally of it. Despite a tendency to sound somewhat dated, Soro preserves the Golden Voice of Mali at an absolute peak of perfection, alternately soaring, laser-like, or caressing. Although this melting pot only narrowly avoids boiling over, it must be placed near the top of any list of the master's most influential albums. ~ Christina Roden, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
From the voice of Mali comes this album, full of vaguely '80s synth work and Salif Keita's perfect brand of vocals. The album is a long distance from the Ambassadeurs days with Mory Kante and/or Kante Manfila, but it's worth hearing for the progression of Keita's sound. There is certainly a dichotomy on the album between more traditional sounds, with cascading vocal lines from Keita coupled with largely traditional instruments, and the more modern side, with slightly more pop-oriented vocals coupled with synthesizers and electric guitars. The sound tends to alternate from one end of the spectrum to the other, showcasing a nice array of sounds for the listener. Any fan of Keita will be pleased by this effort, though fans of the other members of les Ambassadeurs as well as the Rail Band might note the absence of the other seminal players in the history of Malian music. Pick it up as a fan of Keita, as a fan of Malian music in general, or simply as a curious listener. Don't look to it expecting a rehashing of the old days, though. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
