In 1968, in the Malian capital of Bamako, a 19-year-old albino boy scrapped the conventions of his noble ancestry to become a professional singer. Poor despite his social standing, rebellious, and vexed by poor eyesight, the boy chose music over the only alternative he saw, a life of crime. Salif Keita sang with the legendary, Latin-tinged Rail Band of Bamako in the early '70s before starting his own more fusion-oriented group, Les Ambassadeurs which also featured brilliant Guinean guitarist Kante Manfila. Keita moved to Paris in 1984, and there he recorded Soro, a dazzlingly beautiful realization of his brooding, modern take on Malian tradition. Soro set a new standard for electric Afropop, and it legitimized African music in the progressive rock mold-music for listening, not just dancing. Keita sings with belting, no-holds-barred passion that evokes blues shouters and r&b screamers. But his sound hews close to the style of the Islamic Manding griots, who sing to evoke the grand struggles and tragedies of history. After many struggles, Keita has learned to tap into the pain of life and to transcend it in cathartic song. Today, with a Grammy nomination for his 1992 Amen-a collaboration with Weather Report's Joe Zawinul- Keita ranks among the most celebrated African singers who ever lived. Keita's 1999 release, Papa, was co-produced by Vernon Reid and moved more aggressively in the direction of rock music than any of the singer's previous works. Papa met with initial skepticism both at home and abroad, but the release has become extremely popular in Mali, and it earned Keita a second Grammy Award nomination in 2000.