BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Famend guitarist and singer Amadou Bagayoko of Mali’s music duo Amadou & Mariam has died. He was 70.
Mali’s Minister of Tradition Mamou Daffé paid tribute to the blind musician in a televised broadcast on state TV. He stated that Bagayoko died Friday within the metropolis of Bamako, his birthplace, however did not give additional particulars.
Bagayoko went blind when he was 15 due to a congenital cataract. He studied music at Mali’s Institute for the Younger Blind, the place he met his future spouse, Mariam Doumbia. They fashioned a band referred to as Mali’s Blind Couple in 1980, making their mark regionally and internationally.
Their music, which blends conventional African influences with parts of rock, blues and pop, has gained them a world following. They produced over 10 award-winning albums, together with France’s Grammy Awards equal, Victoire de la Musique, in 2005, for “Dimanche à Bamako” and once more in 2013 for “Folila.” “Dimanche à Bamako” additionally gained them one of many BBC Radio Awards for World Music in 2006.
Their 2008 album “Welcome to Mali” was nominated for Greatest Modern World Music Album on the Grammys.
Bagayoko’s final world-class efficiency with Doumbia was on the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Video games.
He’s survived by his spouse and a son, Sam, additionally a musician.
