Mali lost a musical star yesterday, as Amadou Bagayoko passed away at 70 years old. His family confirmed he died after fighting an illness. Amadou, with his wife Mariam Doumbia, made up half of the famous blind music pair Amadou & Mariam. The couple became world-famous for mixing traditional Malian sounds with rock guitars and blues.
Their music career brought them huge success - they sold millions of albums worldwide. They wrote the main song for Germany's 2006 World Cup and performed at the Paris Olympics closing event just last year. Youssouf Fadiga, Amadou's son-in-law, told AFP news that Amadou had been sick for some time. Mali's culture minister Mamou Daffe expressed deep sadness at the news.
The musical journey began when Amadou met Mariam at a school for blind students in Bamako, Mali, in 1976. He was 21 and she was 18 when they discovered their shared love of music. They started traveling and performing together during the 1980s. Their shows combined West African instruments like kora and balafon with influences from Pink Floyd and James Brown records they enjoyed as young people.
Early in their career, they created songs about issues facing blind people and others with disabilities. Their big international breakthrough came with their 2004 album Sunday in Bamako and its popular title track. From there, the blind couple from Mali rose to become one of Africa's most beloved musical acts. They performed alongside big names like Damon Albarn from Blur and Gorillaz and guitar legend David Gilmour from Pink Floyd.
Festival crowds at Glastonbury in England saw them play. They shared concert stages with major stars Coldplay, U2, and Stevie Wonder. A career highlight came when they performed for Barack Obama during his Nobel Peace Prize award concert. Amadou recalled that Obama approached them afterward and said he enjoyed their Malian music.
According to Mariam, this experience made the couple very happy. The talented duo earned a Grammy nomination in 2010. They also won awards from BBC radio and at France's Victoires de la Musique ceremony. Amadou leaves behind three children and a rich musical legacy that crossed cultures and touched fans around the world.
Their music career brought them huge success - they sold millions of albums worldwide. They wrote the main song for Germany's 2006 World Cup and performed at the Paris Olympics closing event just last year. Youssouf Fadiga, Amadou's son-in-law, told AFP news that Amadou had been sick for some time. Mali's culture minister Mamou Daffe expressed deep sadness at the news.
The musical journey began when Amadou met Mariam at a school for blind students in Bamako, Mali, in 1976. He was 21 and she was 18 when they discovered their shared love of music. They started traveling and performing together during the 1980s. Their shows combined West African instruments like kora and balafon with influences from Pink Floyd and James Brown records they enjoyed as young people.
Early in their career, they created songs about issues facing blind people and others with disabilities. Their big international breakthrough came with their 2004 album Sunday in Bamako and its popular title track. From there, the blind couple from Mali rose to become one of Africa's most beloved musical acts. They performed alongside big names like Damon Albarn from Blur and Gorillaz and guitar legend David Gilmour from Pink Floyd.
Festival crowds at Glastonbury in England saw them play. They shared concert stages with major stars Coldplay, U2, and Stevie Wonder. A career highlight came when they performed for Barack Obama during his Nobel Peace Prize award concert. Amadou recalled that Obama approached them afterward and said he enjoyed their Malian music.
According to Mariam, this experience made the couple very happy. The talented duo earned a Grammy nomination in 2010. They also won awards from BBC radio and at France's Victoires de la Musique ceremony. Amadou leaves behind three children and a rich musical legacy that crossed cultures and touched fans around the world.
