Amadou Bagayoko, the legendary Malian guitarist and one half of the beloved musical duo Amadou & Mariam, has died at the age of 70, Mali’s government confirmed on Friday.
The Ministry of Culture announced the news in a statement broadcast on state television, saying it had “learned with concern of the passing of artist Amadou Bagayoko.” The ministry paid tribute to him as “a blind man who left an indelible mark on both the Malian and international music scenes.”
Born in Bamako in 1954, Bagayoko began playing music early in life. He met his future wife and musical partner Mariam Doumbia in the 1970s at Bamako’s Institute for Young Blind People. The two would go on to create a unique sound that blended traditional West African music with rock, pop, funk, and blues influences — earning them global acclaim.
Their breakout album Dimanche à Bamako (Sunday in Bamako), produced by Manu Chao in 2004, catapulted them to international fame. Four years later, their album Welcome to Mali earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary World Music Album.
Amadou & Mariam performed on some of the world’s biggest stages — opening for Coldplay in 2009, playing at the Nobel Peace Prize concert the same year, and lighting up music festivals like Glastonbury. In 2006, they also composed the official anthem for the FIFA World Cup.
Tributes poured in from across the music world. “Amadou! We’ll always be together… with you wherever you go,” wrote French-Spanish musician Manu Chao. Senegalese music legend Youssou N’Dour added: “I will never forget his friendship. My thoughts are with my dear Mariam.”
Bagayoko leaves behind a rich musical legacy that transcended borders and brought African rhythms to audiences around the world.