WSJ.com - An African Music Star Uses Fame and Wealth To Help Fellow Albinos

WSJ.com - An African Music Star Uses Fame and Wealth To Help Fellow Albinos: "BAMAKO, Mali -- Salif Keita says that when he was born in a village south of here, his father recoiled in horror and expelled both Salif and his mother. 'What is this thing?' the father wondered aloud.

The reason: Mr. Keita -- now one of the most popular African singers, with several hit albums and a big international audience -- is a black man with white skin.

Like millions of people around the world, Mr. Keita has a genetic condition known as albinism, which deprives skin, hair and sometimes eyes of pigmentation. In North America and Europe, albinos lead relatively normal lives, though many must contend with poor eyesight. But for albinos here in Africa, so starkly diverse in appearance from their neighbors, life is complicated by prejudice and illness. Albinism in parts of Africa is estimated to affect as many as one in a thousand people.


In many traditional African cultures, including Mali's, albinos are seen as bearers of bad luck. Many are abandoned at birth or even slaughtered in ritual sacrifice. 'We are different. When people see us on the street, they usually spit on the ground in disgust,' Mr. Keita says. 'What can be worse than this?'"