BREAKING BARRIERS
Malian-born Salif Keita doesn't worry about the language barrier when he performs to international audiences in his native language. Regardless of where he plays, venues are often sold-out. "African music is a manifestation in melody and rhythm," the albino singer explains, "and people are more carried away by the emotion, the dance and the beat." During his live shows, he notices the variety of his fans' backgrounds. "It's a very good mix of ages and cultures." On his current tour, Keita performs acoustic songs from his latest album, M'Bemba. Although Keita says he listens to different musical genres, ranging from American to Latin, he pretty much sticks to his guns on the new record, exploring the richness of his own continent. Percussive elements, acoustic guitars and highly emotional vocals fill the stage. "I don't do jazz," he says, although there's a jazzy element in his sound-the improvisation, his wide vocal range. The rhythm is quite captivating, so don't be annoyed if people get up and dance during the show. Join them.