Salif Keita

Salif Keita, known as “Africa’s golden voice” is one of the major pioneers of Afro-pop. He was born a prince, directly descended from Mali’s king and founder, and thus, according to tradition, forbidden from singing. But he challenged conventions and became a musician. In the 60s and 70s, he was the singer in the legendary bands Super Rail Band de Bamako and Les Ambassadeurs.

With the album Soro, Salif Keïta became one of the founders of Afro-pop. He lived in France in the 80s. He has always endeavoured to build bridges between the African continent and the rest of the world. After the turn of the millennium, he returned to Mali and wove his various experiences into acoustic musicianship, so impressive and revealing that it amazed the African continent and the rest of the world.

Salif Keita is consistently relevant and tours worldwide. He has won many awards and recently received the prestigious AFRIMA Legendary Award on site in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Based on his experiences of life with albinism, since 2001 he has worked tirelessly with charitable causes to fight stigmas against people with albinism in Africa.

Opening act: Eme Alfonso

In her music, Eme Alfonso combines rhythms from Cuba with jazz and soul. National Public Radio of America (NPR) called Eme Alfonso “Cuba’s new sound”. She has shared stages with artists including Chucho Valdés, Omara Portuondo, Fito Páez, and Ray Lema. She is also a member of the legendary Síntesis, which was nominated for a Latin Grammy. On her latest album “Eme” she worked with X Alfonso (Goya Award), Pedro Luis Ferrer, “Ruzzo” from Orishas (Grammy Award) and Harold López Nussa (Montreux Jazz Festival Award), among many other major jazz musicians.

Eme Alfonso is dedicated to safeguarding the diversity and richness of Cuban culture. As an artist with global influences, she has also participated in a UNESCO project focused on documenting the cultural richness of the island via films.