Salif Keïta, Royal Festival Hall, London (GB) - May 31, 1989

Salif Keïta, previously with the Super Rail Band of Bamako, then forging a solo career, by this time was established as an international performer on the back of his album Soro. As far as I recall, the music mixed traditional West African instruments, eg kora, balafon, with the more familiar, eg sax, bs guitar. A rather deliberate performance but there’s no gainsaying the remarkable and attractive voice of Keïta, the timbre, range and technique.

Une voix magnifique