Amadou Bagayoko, One Half of World Music Duo Amadou & Mariam, Dead at 70

Amadou Bagayoko of the Malian musical duo Amadou & Miriam has passed away at the age of 70. He is survived by his wife and musical partner, Mariam Doumbia, as well as his three children.

His home country’s Minister of Culture, Mamou Daffé, announced his death. He noted that Bagayoko had been suffering from an illness for a while, though that illness was not disclosed. Daffé noted that Bagayoko passed in Bamako, the capital of Mali, where he had also been born.

Born in 1954, Bagayoko was able to see for most of his childhood before he became blind at age 15, following the diagnosis of a congenital cataract. He studied at the Institute for the Young Blind. There, he met his soon-to-be-wife Mariam, who is also blind, in the 1970s during an orchestra performance. They formed the duo Amadou & Miriam in 1974 and married in the 1980s. The couple became a staple outfit in world music throughout the late 20th century. They also inspired countless young disabled musicians to live their dreams.

The Legacy of Amadou Bagayoko Lives On

Amadou Bagayoko was known for fusing traditional Malian music with western classic rock, particularly as part of the world music duo Amadou & Mariam. The duo performed throughout the 1970s and 1980s, though they became particularly popular in the 1990s and 2000s.

Bagayoko and Doumbia influenced plenty of world musicians and blind artists during their time, but the pair were also heavily influenced by classic rock and pop music.

“People are often surprised when we explain how much we were influenced by Western pop music,” Bagayoko once said. “I grew up listening to records by Rod Stewart, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder… That’s because they were the only records we had in Mali!”

The duo performed at multiple FIFA World Cups and also performed with superstars like Shakira, John Legend, and Tinariwen. As they began to gain more worldwide attention, they supported big names in rock like U2, Coldplay, and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. The duo’s final album was La Confusion, released in 2017.

“We seek to make people happy with our music, help humanitarian causes and share positive messages about the good work being done by people in every corner of the world,” the pair said, following the release of their last record. The duo performed often, right up until Bagayoko’s death.

We wish Amadou Bagayoko’s family, friends, fans, and loved ones the best during this difficult time.

Photo by DAVID PILLET/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

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