Salif Keita Live at Safaricom Jazz was a Spiritual Experience

Photo by Mumo Liku

Salif Keita was live in Nairobi on Saturday August 29th at the Bomas of Kenya for the Safaricom Jazz Lounge which is part of the series that culminates in the Safaricom International Jazz Festival. Salif Keita is no stranger to the music stage, being one of the most celebrated African musicians in the world. This edition of Safaricom Jazz Lounge had all the proceeds going to Ghetto classics, a community programme under The Art of Music Foundation that involves over 300 children in Korogocho slums that offers music education to provide youth with opportunities to better their lives.

Salif Keita’s popularity was evident when tickets got sold out three days before the event. For Kenyans who are used to waiting till last minute to buy tickets, they were in for a shock when the tickets were announced sold out. Gates opened at 6pm and for those who arrived early, they were in for a treat. I loved the set up that was dubbed Jazz Town. Jazz Town consisted of open air food stations and bars complete with tables and even campfires for attendees to sit and relax before the main event began. There was a band as well playing some relaxing tunes and it was a really great precursor to Salif Keita’s performance. The door to the main auditorium opened at 7.30pm and the event kicked off at about 8pm.

The opening act was James Gogo and the Gogo Simo Band. This was my first time to interact with the band and their music and I was pleasantly surprised. Their music is jazz littered with Swahili elements. The only complaint I have is the inflexible seat arrangements. The seats were too close together and so for those of us who wanted to dance, we had to go to the front. It was impossible to sit still with James Gogo and the Gogo Simo Band going, “Viringa kiuno”. Let’s just say I viringad my kiuno.

After a 15 minute break, the legendary Salif Keita took to the stage. Resplendent in all white, he took a seat on stage and backed by two backup singers and his band that included instrumentalists on guitar, the kora and the drums, gave what can only be termed as a soul cleansing performance for a solid two hours. His rich repertoire meant that we were in for a generous amount of musical goodness and he didn’t disappoint, serving up hit after hit. I was a little disappointed that he didn’t perform my favourite, La Difference, but I was more than satisfied with his renditions that included Yamore, Africa, Tekere among others.

Salif Keita live was a spiritual experience, and I left feeling like any pain my soul had been recently subjected to had been tenderly stripped away. And isn’t that the power of music though? Salif Keita is proof that we don’t need to understand the lyrics of a song to be moved by it and that strangers can for a few moments lose their inhibitions and close their eyes and raise their hands in unanimous approval.

The concept of the Safaricom Jazz Lounge and indeed Safaricom International Jazz Festival is a pretty good one. It’s a joy to see the live music scene growing in Kenya. It is even a bigger joy to know that the proceeds of this particular event are going to help disadvantaged kids. The event was excellent one with a well thought out ambiance, great sound and stage setup (kudos to MoSound) and amazing artistes on stage. I am looking forward to the next Safaricom Jazz Lounge that is set to take place in December and can’t wait for the headlining artiste to be announced. I have a feeling it’s going to be another legendary one.