Salif Keita at WWW X, September 29th 2025

 

The other day I was watching a TV show, the kind of show where they go to specific areas and talk about their food. They profiled a cook who was well known among the locals for making an amazing ramen. In the show they called him a legend. It made me think that term didn’t exactly fit the person in question. After that I noticed that the word ‘legend’ is used a lot, but who’s truly a legend? To me a legend is someone who overcoming hardship was able to make a mark on their field. Someone who established a before and after. Someone who’ll be remembered long after their gone because of their everlasting impact. Without a doubt, on September 29th at WWW X we were in the presence of a legend.                         

Born into royalty in Mali, Salif Keita was ostracized by his family due to his condition. On top of that he pursued music as a profession, something that was frowned upon because of his noble status. In the seventies he was a member of Les Ambassadors, a band that became well known internationally and released records that are highly sought after among collectors. He relocated to Europe and collaborated with people like Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul and Carlos Santana. In the early two thousands he had a global hit with a duet with Cesaria Evora called Yamore.

I couldn’t miss the chance to see him live. I knew about the show just a few days before it was scheduled to happen and I think I was lucky to get a ticket because it was sold out. The venue was completely packed. I had to stand at the back, there were VIP seats in he front. It was OK I managed to get a nice view of the stage. Peter Barakan was DJing, until the lights went down and Sail Keita walked on stage guided by an assistant. He sat down and played a couple of tunes, just him and his guitar.

I was expecting this kind of subdued, sparse, atmospheric vibe that matched his most recent album So Kono, his first in seven years, after announcing his retirement. But then his band joined in. An all acoustic affair: guitar, percussion and ngoni. Gradually the energy increased until it became a celebration.

Songs were extended, the musicians were showcased in lengthy solos, there were even people from the audience, I’m assuming of African origin, who jumped on stage and contributed with dancing. The whole show had a positive and life affirming atmosphere that gave everyone a two hour pause from all the madness that’s happening in the world. On top of that the musicianship and arrangements were a thing of beauty. Of course the cherry on top, that in this case was the main ingredient, was the incredible voice of Sail Keita. Still delivering after almost sixty years of a music career. Like mentioned earlier, the people that night, in that relatively small venue, we were lucky to have witnessed a true legend.
 
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