🇲🇱🎶👨🏿🦯💔🌍 A thought for Amadou Bagayoko, who died this week aged 70. The blind Malian singer was of course best known for his duet with Mariam Doumbia, which lasted over forty years. Before that, he was part of the Ambassadeurs du Motel, which also featured Salif Keita and Ousmane Kouyaté. Later, he also joined Damon Albarn’s Africa Express, with Brian Eno, Aly Keita and many others. The duo Amadou and Mariam, who are a couple both in the city and on stage, began recording in the 80s. In 2004, Manu Chao produced their first international hit, Dimanche à Bamako. The album Welcome to Mali was released in 2008, produced by Damon Albarn and featuring contributions from Keziah Jones and – M – Matthieu Chédid, and was nominated for a Grammy in 2010. Amadou died in hospital in Bamako, and his memory has been hailed with emotion by the cultural world. May he rest in peace. Our thoughts are also with Mariam Doumbia at this painful time.
