Mali: Amadou Bagayoko, of the iconic duo Amadou and Mariam, has passed away

According to his relatives, Amadou, aged 70, had been ill for some time. His stepson, Youssouf Fadiga, told AFP: “He had been unwell for a while…”.

“He was feeling very tired [and] was taken to hospital. He died suddenly in the afternoon in Bamako,” their manager, Yannick Tardy, also told AFP.

For several decades, Amadou Bagayoko and his wife Mariam Doumbia formed an iconic musical duo, blending traditional Malian music with rock guitars, harmonica, and vocal harmonies.

Both visually impaired, they met in 1975 at the ’Institut des Jeunes Aveugles de Bamako"(Institute for the Young Blind in Bamako). He was a guitarist; she was a singer. Together, they decided to form a group. They quickly rose to fame in Mali, and later gained recognition across West Africa, especially after relocating to Côte d’Ivoire for a few years.

In 2004, the duo achieved international acclaim with the hit "Dimanche à Bamako", from the album of the same name, produced by French musiian Manu Chao. In 2005, this tremendous success earned them a Victoire de la Musique award in France, in the “World Music” category.

Since then, Amadou & Mariam have collaborated with numerous renowned artists and performed at major concerts and festivals worldwide, both live and in the studio.

Their music is beloved for its simple reflections on daily life, its mesmerizing melodies rooted in Bambara tradition, and arrangements that blend rock, blues, funk, and electro. In several interviews, Amadou described their sound as “Afro-blues-rock.”

Following the announcement of his passing, many artists and cultural figures have paid tribute, including Fally Ipupa , Angellique Kidjo and Rachida Dati, France’s Minister of Culture.

“ Rest in peace, Maestro Amadou. My heartfelt condolences to Tata Mariam. I still can’t believe you’re gone,” shared Fally Ipupa. He added: “We were working on this incredible collaboration that never even got the chance to see the light of day. Thank you for everything. You will never be forgotten.”

"RIP Amadou: I will never forget your generosity and your talent when you came to play on my album DjinDjin. Your guitar carried the song from top to bottom" Kidjo wrote. 

" It is with a broken heart that I learn today of the death of Amadou Bagayoko. My dear Amadou, you were a pillar of our Malian music, an ambassador whose talent shone throughout the world. Your guitar and your voice touched so many souls and carried so many messages of peace and hope,” shared the Malian singer, Oumou Sangare on her Facebook page.