Few artists loom as large in Mali's consciousness as Salif Keïta. Born into a royal, non-griot caste, Keïta bucked his heritage to pursue music in the early ‘70s, overcoming strong anti-albino prejudices in the process. He was part of both The Rail Band and Les Ambassadeurs, two groups that fused traditional Mandé music with Afro-Cuban rhythms and helped him hone his powerful vocal style. He found international fame in the ‘80s with songs that enchant, whether they're iterating upon repeatable riffs or developing from slow meditations into raucous, danceable celebrations of love and life.