WHAT'S HOT
Amadou Bagayoko, Member of Malian Duo Amadou & Mariam, Dies at 70

Published
3 months agoon

Renowned guitarist and singer Amadou Bagayoko of Mali’s music duo Amadou & Mariam has died. He was 70.
Mali’s Minister of Culture Mamou Daffé paid tribute to the blind musician in a televised broadcast on state TV. He said that Bagayoko died Friday (March 4) in the city of Bamako, his birthplace, but didn’t give further details. The musician’s family confirmed his passing, noting that he had been ill for some time, Rolling Stone reports. A cause of death was not provided.
Related
Gone But Not Forgotten: Musicians We Lost in 2025
03/07/2025
Bagayoko went blind when he was 15 because of a congenital cataract. He studied music at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind, where he met his future wife, Mariam Doumbia. They formed a band called Mali’s Blind Couple in 1980, making their mark locally and internationally. The pair performed together in Mali during the ’70s and ’80s before making a breakthrough in Europe in the mid-’90s.
Their music, which blends traditional African influences with elements of rock, blues and pop, has won them a global following. They produced over 10 award-winning albums, including France’s Grammy Awards equivalent, Victoire de la Musique, in 2005, for Dimanche à Bamako and again in 2013 for Folila. Dimanche à Bamako also won them one of the BBC Radio Awards for World Music in 2006.
Their 2008 album Welcome to Mali was nominated for best contemporary world music album at the Grammys.
Bagayoko’s last world-class performance with Doumbia was at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
He is survived by his wife and a son, Sam, also a musician.
Mitchell Peters
Source link

Patrick Walden, Former Babyshambles Guitarist, Dies at 46

11 Best Moments From Stray Kids’ Thunderous ‘dominATE’ Stadium Concert in New York

Toñita Fest Returns as Caribbean Social Club Marks 51 Years: ‘It’s Important to Bring People Together’

New Kids on the Block Still Have the ‘Right Stuff’ After All These Years: 5 Best Moments From Night 1 of Las Vegas Residency

New Kids on the Block Las Vegas Setlist: Every Song From Night 1 of ‘Right Stuff’ Residency

Exclusive Interview with Bassi Boss

Crucial Flamez: The Guyanese Flame Lighting Up South Florida’s Reggae-Hip Hop Scene

Exclusive interview with Strictly Sour

From Pain to Purpose: Jerard Rice is Starvin’ for Greatness in the industry

Celebrity HipHop’s Next Up: Exclusive Interview with J Menace

Clipse, Pusha T, No Malice – Ace Trumpets (Official Audio)

Turbo & Gunna – Classy Girl [Official Visualizer]

Ken Carson – Blakk Rokkstar (Audio)

Lil Durk – Vanish Mode (Official Audio)

NLE Choppa – Gang Baby (Official Music Video)
TRENDING


Patrick Walden, Former Babyshambles Guitarist, Dies at 46
Patrick Walden, former guitarist for the British rock band Babyshambles, has died at the age of 46. The band, fronted...


11 Best Moments From Stray Kids’ Thunderous ‘dominATE’ Stadium Concert in New York
Stray Kids‘ concert on Thursday (June 19) truly embodied their 2020 single “Thunderous” when a severe thunderstorm watch in the New...


Toñita Fest Returns as Caribbean Social Club Marks 51 Years: ‘It’s Important to Bring People Together’
Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club, one of the last surviving Puerto Rican social clubs in the city, will host its second...


New Kids on the Block Still Have the ‘Right Stuff’ After All These Years: 5 Best Moments From Night 1 of Las Vegas Residency
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 20: (L-R) Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, Joey McIntyre, Jonathan Knight and Jordan Knight of New...


New Kids on the Block Las Vegas Setlist: Every Song From Night 1 of ‘Right Stuff’ Residency
Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre and Danny Wood of New Kids on the Block perform on the...