File – blind duo of Mali, Amadou Bagayoko, right, and Mariam Doumbia, seen during a concert in Paris, Monday, December 1, 2008.
Michel Euler / AP
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Michel Euler / AP
Bamako, Mali – The guitarist and renowned singer Amadou Bagayoko of the Mali Mali Duo Amadou & Mariam died. He was 70 years old.
The Minister of Culture of Mali Mamou Daffé paid tribute to the blind musician in a television program on state television. He said Bagayoko died on Friday in the city of Bamako, his birthplace, but did not give more details.
Bagayoko became blind at the age of 15 because of a congenital cataract. He studied music in Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind, where he met his future wife, Mariam Doumbia. They formed a group called Mali’s Blind Couple in 1980, making their brand locally and international.
Their music, which mixes traditional African influences with elements of rock, blues and pop, has earned them a world suite. They produced more than 10 award -winning albums, including the equivalent of France’s Grammy Awards, victory of the Muca, in 2005, for “Sunday in Bamako” and again in 2013 for “Folila”. “Didanche in Bamako” also won one of the BBCs Radio Awards for World Music in 2006.
Their 2008 album “Welcome to Mali” was nominated for the best contemporary world music album in The Grammys.
The latest world -class Bagayoko performance with Doumbia took place at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games closing ceremony.
He is survived by his wife and a son, Sam, also a musician.
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