World Music Portraits: Salif Keita  (2003)

Theatrical Release Information:
World Music Portraits: Salif Keita

For over 15 years versatile world music specialist Salif Keita has been churning out innovative and spellbinding music that fuses Malian roots music with funk, jazz, R&B, and Europop. In addition to offering a look at his influences and creative process, Keita also takes viewers on a road trip from his home on the outskirts of Paris to the now decimated Bamaka nightclub where he experienced his first taste of success. Inspired by village griots who schooled him in Malian music traditions, Keita speaks briefly with the seasoned storytellers before offering an impromptu performance for the local school children and taking viewers on a private tour of his new recording studio. A revealing interview recalling Keita's often painful struggle to identify with his dark-skinned peers as a light-skinned albino offers insight into just how the future musician transformed his inner turmoil into a successful career as a songwriter. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide