Malian Legend Salif Keita Is Trying Things Differently

Nearly six years after that declaration, Keita is changing his mind. During his hiatus, Keita appeared in various collaborations and has become a staple of house music remixes. This phenomenon continues to bring his work closer to the younger generation.

Last year, his song "Yamore," originally featuring Cape Verdean iconCesária Évora in a string and drum-heavy number, got remixed into a high-energy, house music banger featuring MoBlack, Benka (NL), and Franc Fala. The timelessness of Keita's work and its ability to find new ground amongst listeners today continues to affirm his genius. There's a reason he's called "The Golden Voice of Africa."

On his latest project, So Kono, Keita takes things slow, going acoustic and recording without his troupe for the first time, only occasionally accompanied by Badié Tounkara's ngoni and Mamadou Koné's percussion. This results in an emotionally charged album that is tender, beautiful, reflective, and moving. The album's title, which translates to "In The House," reflects on intimate spaces, literally (like the secluded, private area in which the album was recorded) and figuratively. The willingness to record So Kono came while Keita was at a Zen temple in Japan, illustrating his spiritually anchored artistry.

Keita is a legend who hardly needs an introduction. The four-time Grammy-nominated singer is one of the foremost pioneers of African music on the global stage. With a career that cut across decades and generational tastes, he has built a discography that gives language to our shared sense of humanity. Whether exploring otherness or simply dissecting feelings, Keita's soulful, instantly arresting voice continues to make him one of the continent's most important musicians.

Below, the Malian icon discusses what convinced him to return to music, the process behind this new record, his thoughts on young music listeners, and what the future holds for African music.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

OkayAfrica: How are you feeling about the release of So Kono?

Salif Keita: It's my first time doing an acoustic album, just guitar and voice, so I am excited to show it to the world. I am a bit anxious because it's my first time releasing a project of this nature, but it's normal to feel that way.

You've shied away from doing solo work. What prompted that shift?

How did this recording process differ from your usual flow?

Recording in my room brought a sense of spontaneity to the process; it felt like I was playing just for myself. This made the songs feel more personal, a big difference from recording in a studio. Additionally, this is my first time alone without an orchestra or a big band. This approach allowed me to connect with the work quite differently and emotionally.

What emotions were you feeling or exploring while recording this album?

The themes and the different things that came to my mind were very personal. For example, there's one song about someone dear to me, an old companion, a kind of mentor Kanté Manfila. Many songs take up on Mandinka and what the Mandinka people of Mali are. Many of the songs are traditional Mandinka songs played with the guitar and my voice.

The title "Golden Voice of Africa" still stands many years later. What does this mean for you?

It's not something I like to own up to or care about because I think everyone has a good voice anyway.

How would you describe the state of Malian music right now?

Like everywhere else in the world, hip-hop is thriving in Mali at the moment. It would benefit younger artists to reflect on the past sometimes. There is a risk that they could forget the roots of African music. Musicians from my generation play a significant role in transmitting ancient musical traditions to younger artists. The musicians from my generation have significantly contributed to shaping the global perception of African music. There was also much more exchange between the Western world and African music, and the exchange was much more fluent than it is now.

What made that era exciting?

There was a lot of excitement when I started, and musicians were enthusiastic to learn from each other—musicians from the African continent and American and European musicians. Everyone wanted to play with everyone, and everyone wanted to learn something from the other. So, it was a positive exchange, and it was pretty spellbinding.

What do you hope people feel or take from this new project?

Listeners have never been as close as they will be with my voice on this project. Because I am usually joined by bands, orchestras, or electronic music, the voice is always a bit blended in with the instruments, and for this one, it's almost only guitar, and it's a very minimalistic arrangement. They will get accustomed to my voice in this album. And I guess to me as well.