Latest news with #AmadouBagayoko
New York Times
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Amadou Bagayoko, Half of Malian Duo Who Went Global, Dies at 70
Amadou Bagayoko, a Malian guitarist and composer who with his wife, the singer Mariam Doumbia, formed Amadou & Mariam, inventing a broadly accessible sound that made fans of people worldwide who otherwise knew little about music from Africa, died on Friday in Bamako, Mali's capital. He was 70. His death was announced by the Malian government, which did not provide a cause. He and Ms. Doumbia lived in Bamako. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Amadou & Mariam was regularly described as the new century's most successful African musical act. Mr. Bagayoko, who grew up listening to Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, called their sound 'Afro-rock,' and the group regularly combined his winding guitar solos with, for example, the pounding of a West African djembe drum. Yet the group's music also consistently evolved. Their breakout hit, the 2005 album 'Dimanche à Bamako,' had chatty spoken asides, sirens, the hubbub of crowds — city sounds turned into melodies. Their 2008 album 'Welcome to Mali,' conversely, embraced an electronic style of funk, opening with a song, 'Sabali,' featuring Damon Albarn of the arty hip-hop group Gorillaz. What was consistent was a sweet, graceful sound that still had the power to build to crescendos, with Ms. Doumbia's alto achieving clear, pleasant resonance over a rich orchestration. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Malian singer Amadou Bagayoko dies at age 70
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Renowned guitarist and singer Amadou Bagayoko of Mali's music duo Amadou & Mariam has died. He was 70. Mali's Minister of Culture Mamou Daffé paid tribute to the blind musician in a televised broadcast on state TV. He said that Bagayoko died Friday in the city of Bamako, his birthplace, but didn't give further details. Bagayoko went blind when he was 15 because of a congenital cataract. He studied music at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind, where he met his future wife, Mariam Doumbia. They formed a band called Mali's Blind Couple in 1980, making their mark locally and internationally. Their music, which blends traditional African influences with elements of rock, blues and pop, has won them a global following. They produced over 10 award-winning albums, including France's Grammy Awards equivalent, Victoire de la Musique, in 2005, for 'Dimanche à Bamako' and again in 2013 for 'Folila.' 'Dimanche à Bamako' also won them one of the BBC Radio Awards for World Music in 2006. Their 2008 album 'Welcome to Mali' was nominated for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the Grammys. Bagayoko's last world-class performance with Doumbia was at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. He is survived by his wife and a son, Sam, also a musician.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Amadou Bagayoko, Member of Malian Duo Amadou & Mariam, Dies at 70
Renowned guitarist and singer Amadou Bagayoko of Mali's music duo Amadou & Mariam has died. He was 70. Mali's Minister of Culture Mamou Daffé paid tribute to the blind musician in a televised broadcast on state TV. He said that Bagayoko died Friday (March 4) in the city of Bamako, his birthplace, but didn't give further details. The musician's family confirmed his passing, noting that he had been ill for some time, Rolling Stone reports. A cause of death was not provided. More from Billboard Gone But Not Forgotten: Musicians We Lost in 2025 Tracy Chapman on Revisiting Her Self-Titled Debut Album, 37 Years Later: 'I'm Just So Proud of It' FKA Twigs Has to Drop Out of Coachella, Cancel North American Tour Dates Due to Visa Issues: 'I'm Devastated' Bagayoko went blind when he was 15 because of a congenital cataract. He studied music at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind, where he met his future wife, Mariam Doumbia. They formed a band called Mali's Blind Couple in 1980, making their mark locally and internationally. The pair performed together in Mali during the '70s and '80s before making a breakthrough in Europe in the mid-'90s. Their music, which blends traditional African influences with elements of rock, blues and pop, has won them a global following. They produced over 10 award-winning albums, including France's Grammy Awards equivalent, Victoire de la Musique, in 2005, for Dimanche à Bamako and again in 2013 for Folila. Dimanche à Bamako also won them one of the BBC Radio Awards for World Music in 2006. Their 2008 album Welcome to Mali was nominated for best contemporary world music album at the Grammys. Bagayoko's last world-class performance with Doumbia was at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. He is survived by his wife and a son, Sam, also a musician. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Asharq Al-Awsat
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Iconic Malian Musician Amadou Bagayoko of Amadou & Mariam Dies at 70
Grammy-nominated Malian musician Amadou Bagayoko, who won global fame by moulding traditional West African sounds with Western rock and pop influences as one half of the blind duo Amadou & Mariam, has died aged 70, the Malian government said. The ministry of culture "learned with concern of the passing of artist Amadou Bagayoko this Friday," it said in a statement read on state television. "Amadou was a blind man who made his mark on the Malian and international scene." Bagayoko was born in Bamako in 1954 and played music from an early age. He met his wife and musical partner Mariam Doumbia at the Institute for Young Blind People in Bamako in the 1970s, according to Radio France Internationale. Their 2004 album "Dimanche a Bamako" (Sunday in Bamako) put them on the international map and the 2008 release "Welcome To Mali" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album, Reuters reported. They opened for British band Coldplay in 2009, performed at the Nobel Peace Prize concert that same year, when U.S. President Barack Obama was awarded the prize, and played to crowds at some of the world's biggest music festivals, including Glastonbury in the UK. They also composed the official song for the 2006 soccer World Cup. International artists offered their condolences online. "Amadou! We'll always be together ... with you wherever you go," said French-born Spanish musician Manu Chao, who produced "Dimanche a Bamako". "I will never forget his friendship," said Senegalese singer-songwriter Youssou N'Dour. "My thoughts are with my dear Mariam."
The Independent
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Malian singer Amadou Bagayoko dies at age 70
Renowned guitarist and singer Amadou Bagayoko of Mali's music duo Amadou & Mariam has died at the age of 70. Mali's Minister of Culture Mamou Daffé paid tribute to the blind musician in a televised broadcast on state TV and said that Bagayoko died Friday in the city of Bamako, his birthplace, but didn't give further details. Bagayoko, born in 1954, went blind when he was 15 because of a congenital cataract. He studied music at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind where he met his wife Mariam Doumbia. The couple formed their band Mali's Blind Couple in 1980, making their mark locally and internationally. Their music, which blends traditional African influences with elements of rock, blues and pop, has won them a global following. They produced over 10 award-winning albums, including France 's Grammy Awards equivalent, Victoire de la Musique, in 2005 for Dimanche à Bamako and again in 2013 for Folila. Dimanche à Bamako also won them one of the BBC Radio Awards for World Music in 2006. Their 2008 album Welcome to Mali was nominated for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the Grammys. Bagayogo's last world-class performance with Doumbia was at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. He is survived by his wife and son, Sam, also a musician.
