Salif Keita, The Early Years (Wrasse Records Ltd., 2002)
Salif Keita is one of the best known voices from Africa in the West. Since first coming to prominence in the West in the mid-1980's, his beautiful blend of Mandingo, Afro-Cuban, and Jazz has intoxicated audiences. This disc presents recordings dating back to the late 1960's through the early 1980's. It is a fascinating listen of a master artist finding his voice.
The earliest tracks, such as the opener "Tiramakan," already show his commanding voice and melodic improvisational skills. Even when the music drags in repetition, his smooth voice draws in the listener. Move forward to the dancier numbers like "N'toman," and you hear Keita's ability to weave his voice through the music like another instrument, albeit one with a warmth unfound in the rest of the band.
His political stance rises through, as well. "Soyomba," with it's call to unite Africa, comes as a gentle, mid-tempo ballad, and yet the passion that Keita sings with suggests that something profound is being said. Several tribute songs are also included, often hidden in the guise of dance songs or ballads. This is one of Keita's strengths: unlike his contemporaries (like Fela Kuti), he doesn't resort to specific music styles when his lyrics stray from the universal topic of love.
Recording quality on this disc varies greatly, as should probably be expected. After all, recording facilities in Africa during the 1970's were primitive, at best. Tinny recordings, overdriven vocals, and echo slapped on everything abounds here. The more modern recordings provide better recording quality, and also smatterings of Western sounds (jazz horns, metal guitar). The liner notes are a tad perfunctory; although it provides the albums these songs came from, it doesn't note the year of each recording.
If you are already a fan of Keita's music, by all means get this: it's a fascinating historical record for us in the West. If you are new to Keita or African music in general, this is a great place to start: just because it's old doesn't mean it doesn't make you want to dance! A wonderful disc overall.
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