Esteemed guitarist and vocalist Amadou Bagayoko from the Malian music duo Amadou & Mariam has passed away. He was 70 years old.
The Minister of Culture in Mali, Mamou Daffé, honored the visually impaired artist during a televised segment on state television. He mentioned that Bagayoko passed on Friday (March 4) in Bamako, the city where he was born, though no additional information was provided. The family of the musician verified his death, stating that he had been ill for a while, Rolling Stone reports. No cause of death has been disclosed.
Bagayoko lost his sight at the age of 15 due to a congenital cataract. He pursued music at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind, where he met his later wife, Mariam Doumbia. In 1980, they established a band known as Mali’s Blind Couple, gaining recognition both locally and globally. The duo played in Mali throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s before achieving success in Europe in the mid-‘90s.
Their sound, which incorporates traditional African styles along with rock, blues, and pop influences, attracted a worldwide audience. They released more than 10 critically acclaimed albums, winning the equivalent of France’s Grammy Awards, Victoire de la Musique, in 2005 for Dimanche à Bamako and again in 2013 for Folila. Additionally, Dimanche à Bamako earned them one of the BBC Radio Awards for World Music in 2006.
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Their album from 2008, Welcome to Mali, received a nomination for best contemporary world music album at the Grammys.
Bagayoko’s final noteworthy performance with Doumbia took place at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
He is survived by his spouse and a son, Sam, who is also involved in music.
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
