Malian Music Legend, Amadou Bagayoko Dies at 70

Amadou Bagayoko, a renowned guitarist and singer from Mali, has died at the age of 70. Amadou was the second half of Mali's acclaimed musical duo

Amadou Bagayoko

Amadou Bagayoko, a renowned guitarist and singer from Mali, has died at the age of 70. Amadou was the second half of Mali's globally acclaimed musical duo, Amadou and Mariam, who were revered for their artistic fusion of traditional Malian music with contemporary styles. Alongside his wife, Mariam Doumbia, the musical duo gave global audiences resonating experiences of Malian culture through music. 

Interestingly, the duo's musical compositions reflected the aesthetics in blending a variety of music styles and instruments from different cultures. As for the duo, they expertly combined the elements of African musical styles with those of rock, pop and blues. Throughout their career journey, they performed alongside Stevie Wonder and U2 and earned more laudable awards and recognitions in the music industry.

Amadou Bagayoko and his wife, Mariam Doumbia performing live on stage.

The duo met while studying at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind and formed a band afterwards, named "Mali’s Blind Couple", in 1980. Ever since, they've garnered an incredible global following and produced 10 award-winning albums. Notably, they won the Victoire de la Musique—France's equivalent of Grammy Awards—for "Dimanche à Bamako” in 2005 and "Folilain" in 2013. They also received the BBC Radio Awards for World Music in 2006 for "Dimanche à Bamako”. 

Significantly, their 2008 Welcome to Mali album also received a nomination for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the Grammys.

The curtain fell on Bagayoko’s world-class performances with a final appearance alongside Doumbia at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

With due regard for his achievements and portrayals of Malian culture and music, the legend's passing received national recognition from Mali's Minister of Culture, Mamou Daffé, who announced Bagayoko's passing at his hometown, Bamako, on a state TV broadcast on April 4. 

Bagayoko is survived by his wife and a son, Sam (a musician).