Amadou & Mariam

Malian husband-and-wife duo Amadou & Mariam became breakout stars of the world music circuit in the mid-2000s, playing a distinctive blend of desert blues, rock, and R&B peppered with West African traditions. After meeting at the Bamako Institute for the Young Blind, the couple married and formed their musical partnership in the early '80s. While living in Côte d'Ivoire, they became active in the regional cassette culture and later moved to Paris where, in the late '90s, they began releasing their music on CD. Amadou & Mariam were already more than two decades into their career when they finally achieved mainstream success with their fourth album, 2004's Dimanche à Bamako. Over the next decade, they became mainstays of the international music community, collaborating with rock musicians like Damon Albarn, Scissor Sisters, and David Gilmour and played nearly every major festival, from Glastonbury to Coachella. Their final album, La Confusion, appeared in 2017, though they remained active as performers until Amadou's death in 2025.Born October 24, 1954, Amadou Bagayoko (vocals, guitar) began his musical career in 1968 and by 1974 had joined Les Ambassadeurs du Motel, a leading group (which counted Salif Keita as a member) in Mali. After losing his sight as a teenager through a congenital cataract, he began attending the Bamako Institute for the Young Blind. His future wife, vocalist Mariam Doumbia (born in Bamako on April 15, 1958), was already at the institute, having become blind at the age of five. Over time, the pair would have a huge influence on the artistic programs at the school, with Amadou directing a group of pupils and Mariam teaching classes in music and dance.In 1980, they married and simultaneously began their career as musical collaborators. Over the next five years, they performed as a duo under the name Mali's Blind Couple, with Amadou's solo efforts also earning accolades and awards. In 1985, they made their first tour outside of Mali, playing for three months in neighboring Burkina Faso. Eventually, they made their way to Côte d'Ivoire, which boasted better opportunities for recording. There, they began to release a series of cassettes (with help from the Nigerian producer Maikano) that would become the foundation of their later successes. By 1991, the pair had released four volumes of their work on cassette, and the buzz was great enough that, in the mid-'90s, they were invited to Paris to perform and record new music there.Although the resulting sessions were never released, Amadou & Mariam eventually were signed to the EmArcy label, which in 1998 issued their first properly distributed album, Sou Ni Tile. It was a minor success in France, and over the next several years a series of releases highlighting their early work (both together and solo) preceded their next album, 2002's Wati. After this, they began working with world music luminary Manu Chao, emerging in 2004 with what was to be their landmark album, Dimanche à Bamako. Released by Nonesuch, the album went platinum in France, effectively introducing Amadou & Mariam to the rest of the world, charting throughout Europe, and leading to international tours and widespread critical accolades. In 2005, they won France's Victoire de la Musique prize for best World Music and a pair of BBC Radio 3 Awards. Their Côte d'Ivoire releases were repacked as a box set and re-released as 1990-1995: L'integrale des Années Maliennes. Next, they teamed up with German composer Herbert Grönemeyer to write "Celebrate the Day," the official anthem for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Along with U.S. appearances at Coachella and Lollapalooza, Amadou & Mariam joined Damon Albarn's Africa Express project, which played the U.K.'s Glastonbury Festival in 2007. That same year, they performed at Bastille Day celebrations and supported Scissor Sisters on their U.K. tour. The duo's next album, 2008's Welcome to Mali, featured collaborators like K'Naan, Keziah Jones, Toumani Diabaté, and Juan Rozoff as well as production help from Damon Albarn. The album included the breakout single "Sabali" and was later nominated for a Grammy Award. Meanwhile, their live performances befitted their raised profile. Along with a mainstage performance at 2009's Glastonbury Festival, they took part in a charity show in London where Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour sat in for the duration of their set. At the start of the next decade Amadou & Mariam published a joint memoir, Away From the Light of Day, and contributed a song, "Tambara," to the Raise Hope For Congo compilation. They also supported U2 on their 2011 South African tour. Working with producer Marc-Antoine Moreau, the duo cut sessions for a new album in New York and Bamako, keeping the best tracks from each. The end result was Folila, issued in early 2012. It featured guest appearances by Santigold, TV on the Radio, Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears, and fellow countryman and ngoni master Bassekou Kouyate. For the remainder of the decade, Amadou & Mariam remained a popular draw at festivals and toured regularly. In 2017, they released what would end up being their final studio album, La Confusion. The duo made an appearance at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paralympics in Paris and had intended to play a European tour the following year. Amadou Bagayoko died on April 4, 2025, at the age of 70.
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