August 15, 2006
Africa News, Netherlands
Salif Keita wants to build hospital for albinos in Mali

The world famous African singer Salif Keita is currently on tour through North America and Canada to raise awareness for African albinos. Keita, who is born as an albino in Mali, has dealt with discrimination because of his skin-color and is now devoted to obtain fair treatment for other albinos. In some parts of Africa, like Mali and Cameroon, albino newborns are killed by other family members, either because they suspect that the mother had sex with a white man or because they think the colorless child is cursed. If albino’s survive the first year of their life they are at risk to be kidnapped and sacrificed by others because they are seen as ill omens. Albinism, a genetic condition that deprives skin, hair and sometimes eyes of pigmentation, is estimated to affect one in 1000 people in Africa. Albinos deal with increased health risks such as skin cancer and impaired vision. The 57-year old Keita lost his albino sister to cancer about ten years ago. Now Keita wants to make sure his 8-month-old daughter, who also suffers from albinism, has access to the best care available. The singer has started a website (www.salifkeita.org) to raise money to build a hospital in Mali to provide proper care to ailing albinos.
http://www.africa-interactive.net/index.php?PageID=1527

August 14, 2006
The Washington Times
Singer raises awareness of Africa albinos
By Joyce Howard Price 

When Salif Keita was born in Africa more than a half-century ago, he and his mother were thrown out of their home by his father, horrified because the baby was white-skinned when he should have been black. Mr. Keita, an albino from Mali, was fortunate because his father eventually took them back. "Albino babies are often sacrificed in Mali, and in Cameroon, an albino baby is killed as soon as he or she is born," he said in a telephone interview from San Francisco. In some parts of Africa, albino newborns are killed by other family members, who suspect the mother has had sex with a white man or assume the arrival of the colorless child means they are cursed. Albino children in many parts of Africa are kidnapped and sacrificed, either because they are seen as ill omens or because of folklore that ascribes magical powers to potions produced from sacrificed albinos. "That still happens, especially before elections" and important sports events, said Coumba Makalou, a Mali-born Marylander who heads a grass-roots group that uses African music and art to draw attention to conditions that are special problems in Africa, such as malaria and albinism. Albinism, a genetic condition that deprives skin, hair and sometimes eyes of pigmentation, is more common in Africa than in the U.S. The U.S. incidence is one per 17,000 births, said the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH), which has offices in New Hampshire. In parts of Africa, albinism is estimated to affect as many as one in 1,000 people, said NOAH President Mike McGowan. "Albinism is more prevalent in closed areas, where there is not a lot of immigration or emigration," he said. Mr. McGowan said violence against albinos is "quite rare" in the United States but does occur. He cited the case of an American Indian albino who was beaten to death three years ago in northern Minnesota by a gang of teenagers who did not like the way he looked. "An albino in this country faces an inordinate amount of teasing and staring, because he or she looks different," Mr. McGowan said in a telephone interview Wednesday. Miss Makalou heads Conscientious Organizations Using Music to Bring Awareness, or COUMBA. She says the suffering of albinos is "an outrage, since it is all based on peoples' ignorance." Miss Makalou is touring in the United States and Canada with Mr. Keita, whom she describes as "one of the top three singers in Africa," assisting him in his bid to raise proceeds for a foundation he has established to help albinos in his native land. The tour was arranged by Mr. Keita's record company, Universal Jazz France, to promote his new album, "M'bemba." The cross-country tour began last week with a sold-out performance at the Apollo in New York and continued with more sell-out or near-sell-out concerts in California, including Los Angeles, Oakland and Santa Monica. Mr. Keita will wrap up the tour this week with performances at music festivals in four Canadian cities. Mr. Keita, 57, said he has faced discrimination most of his life because of his condition, and is devoting his time and wealth to obtain fair treatment for other albinos. Albinos face increased health risks such as skin cancer and impaired vision. Mr. Keita lost an albino sister to skin cancer about a decade ago. He wants to make sure his 8-month-old albino daughter, Natenin, has access to the best care available. He has started a Web site (www.salifkeita.org) to raise money to build a hospital in Mali to provide proper care to ailing albinos as well as patients with a range of other medical disorders.
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060814-120138-5383r.htm

July 18, 2006
Bloomberg
Albino Afropop Star Salif Keita Talks About Mali, Magic, Murder

Salif Keita, the albino Afropop star, stopped by Brooklyn's Metrotech Commons recently at a packed afternoon concert to promote his new album, ``M'Bemba'' (Decca), as part of BAM's Rhythm & Blues Festival. Backed by electric guitars, percussion, traditional African instruments and two dancers, Keita, 57, showed up in faded blue jeans, white cotton shirt, and his signature Kufi skull cap. After finishing the concert with a little dancing, Keita -- the Golden Voice of Mali to his fans -- talked to me at a nearby hotel about his music and his mission. Hilferty: Your seventh album is called ``M'Bemba.'' What does it mean? Keita: Ancestors. Hilferty: Returning to your roots? Keita: I have never left my roots. But I am definitely making a connection to the past. Hilferty: You were born into a noble family and descended from a 13th-century emperor. Is that a burden or privilege? Keita: You always have to be proud of your origins. When you are a descendant of Mali's warrior-founder, you have to respect that tradition as much as possible. It's a responsibility as well. Hilferty: But your noble father frowned on your musical aspirations. Keita: Yes, but there is no life without difficulties. Hilferty: Another source of trouble in Mali was being a white-skinned black man. Keita: It's mainly due to ignorance. In Africa, many don't realize that albinism is due to lack of pigmentation, and, instead, there are superstitious interpretations. I was a social outcast and suffered much from that. Magic Potions Hilferty: I understand that some albinos are sacrificed in Mali, turned into magic potions? Keita: It still happens today. There are a lot of court cases pending because there are no laws protecting albinos. Every time there are elections, albinos disappear because they are used for human blood sacrifices. Hilferty: Scary. What role did your albinism play in your decision to become a musician? Keita: If I were not an albino, I would not be a musician. I was not allowed to continue my education because of being albino. Since they kicked me out of school, I had no other choice but to pursue music. Hilferty: When was your first big break? Keita: When I was found and pursued by the leader of the Rail Band of Bamako, Mali's capital. Hilferty: So he wasn't albinophobic? Keita: In spite of my skin, I became very popular when I sang in the bars there. Hilferty: So music saved your life? Keita: Absolutely. Musical Pioneer Hilferty: You became a pioneer of so-called ``world music'' with your 1987 album, ``Soro.'' What do you think of that term, ``world music''? Keita: It's just a category started by record labels to sell African and other music. I guess you could say I am part of the world, not an extraterrestrial alien. Hilferty: Tell me about your foundation to help albinos. Keita: I had to start it. One day I almost had a fit because I met an albino who had cancer on his head, and took him to a hospital where they refused to treat him. Ocean of Lotion Hilferty: What has your foundation done recently? Keita: A friend in Rennes, France, made a donation of 2,000 tubes of suntan lotion for albino children. There was also a big gift of sunglasses and clothes -- the cancer starts in the eyes, that's why the sunglasses. We're not going to stop with Mali. We will go everywhere in the world where there are albinos because all of them are affected by the sun. Hilferty: You also started a nightclub in Bamako called Mouffou. What happens there? Keita: It can hold 500 people. It provides opportunities for young artists to perform and promote themselves. There's also a state-of-the-art studio where they can record. Hilferty: What's the most important thing you've learned in your years of music making and travels? Keita: That music is therapeutic. I know because if it were not for music I would no longer be here. (Robert Hilferty is a critic for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.) To contact the writer on this story: Robert Hilferty at rhilferty@mcihispeed.net
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/newspid=20601088&sid=a8yRTPVym_GU&refer=home