Salif keita biography of william

Mali's much-beloved Salif Keïta - known as the Golden Voice of Africa - was appointed as a special adviser to coup leader Col Assimi Goïta.

Inheriting albinism, Keita instantly stood out among other Africans and has stood up for tolerance in all forms. A master of West African rhythms and credited as one of the founders of the Afro-pop genre, Keita is world renowned for his unforgettable live performances, soaring vocals and emotionally fuelled songs. That voice is gritty, but pitch-perfect.

And it is loud. It wells up from the core of his body, takes shape in his chest, gathering texture in his throat before projecting from his mouth. When Keita sings, his body is an instrument. And when he cries, Salif Keita is his voice. I was maybe 12 or I used to shout for over eight hours everyday in the fields for three months out of the year, when I was on vacation from school.

Keita was born in in Djoliba, a village on the banks of the river Niger, and on one of the main roads to Mali's capital, Bamako.

At first, people thought I was crazy. But when I shouted, the monkeys kept away, and that was good for everyone in my village because the monkeys ate up all the bananas and fruit. So after the people in the village realised this, that my shouting kept the monkeys away, they left me alone to my shouting, which today has given me a strong voice for my music.

Both his parents were royalty, being descendants of the royal Sundiata Keita family that founded the Mali Empire, at its height the largest in Africa, and as big as Europe. Nassira had to hide him for fear of reprisals from superstitious mobs. He worked the fields before his father forced him to go to school.