Amadu Bagayoko Passes Away
Amadu Bagayoko, guitarist and singer of the Malian musical duet Amadu and Mariam, has died at the age of 70.
His family confirmed his death yesterday (April 4), and his son-in-law Yussuf Fadiga tells Agency-France Press, “He was sick for a while.”
Legacy of Amadou and Mariam
Franz, the manager of the duet, Yannik Tardi, who spoke with Mariam on the phone, stated that Amadu was taken to the clinic after feeling fatigued and passed away later that day, according to Guardian.
Amadu and his wife, Mariam Dumbia, formed the Amadou & Mariam group after meeting in 1976 when Amadu was 21 and Mariam was 18, at the Institute of Young Blind in Bamako, Mali’s capital.
Amadou lost his vision at the age of 16, while Mariam was blinded at five due to untreated measles. After their meeting, they discovered their shared passion for music and began touring together in the 1980s.
Their music blended traditional West African instruments, such as the Kora and Balafon, with the rock, soul, and pop influences of artists like Pink Floyd and James Brown.
Following decades of musical production and touring, they achieved international success with their 2004 album “Dimanche à Bamako” and its title track. Through their songs, they increased awareness of the lives of those living with blindness and became one of Africa’s best-selling duets, selling millions of albums worldwide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O30-ZYUU-U3M
Known as the “blind couple from Mali,” their legendary career featured performances alongside notable artists like Damon Albarn and Pink Floyd’s guitarist David Gilmour, as well as at Barack Obama’s Nobel Prize festival in Oslo.
“There were many musicians, many artists. And Barack Obama came to meet us,” Amadu said in an interview last year.
“We talked a little. Barack Obama told us that he liked our music. Mali music too. We were very, very happy,” Mariam added.
In 2009, they supported Blur during two reunion concerts in Hyde Park, as well as Coldplay for eight shows of their Viva La Vida Tour.
The couple was also nominated for a Grammy Award in 2010 for their album “Welcome to Mali,” in the Best Contemporary World Music Album category.
They wrote an official song for the 2006 World Cup in Germany and performed at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris just last year.
The confirmation of Bagayoko’s passing was echoed by the Minister of Malian Culture, Mom Duffe, who expressed that he was “devastated” by the loss.
Amadu Bagayoko is survived by three children.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/amadou-bagayoko-of-music-duo-amadou-mariam-dies-aged-70-3852185?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=amadou-bagayoko-of-music-duo-amadou-mariam-dies-aged-70
