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Amadou Bagayoko, one-half of the beloved Malian duo Amadou & Mariam, has died at the age of 70. The guitarist and singer passed away on Friday in Bamako, Mali, the city of his birth, after a period of illness, AP reports.
The news was confirmed by Mali's Minister of Culture, Mamou Daffé, during a televised address. Amadou Bagayoko's family also verified the news. However, no specific cause of death was officially announced.
Amadou Bagayoko and his wife, Mariam Doumbia, captivated music lovers and enthusiasts beyond Mali's borders. They were mainly known for blending traditional West African music with blues, rock, soul, and pop, reports suggest. They arguably helped bring Malian music to the international music scene.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, took to his official X (formerly Twitter) page to write:
"Amadou Bagayoko's voice and joy will forever resonate in our hearts. With Mariam, he made France and the world dance and sing. With his eyes closed, his heart wide open. To Mariam and her loved ones, I offer the nation's heartfelt condolences."
Netizens soon took to their X handles to share their thoughts and condolences. Below are what some of them had to post:
"He was incomparable - bringing joy to everyone. What a musician!! Stay calm," expressed an X user.
"May the earth be light upon him and may paradise be his home, inshallah," penned another.
"May Allah SWT grant him His forgiveness and welcome him into His Paradise Firdawsi!" commented a third.
"Invisible to our eyes but present in our hearts. RIP Amadou," stated a fourth.
"Very sad to hear this! My condolences to Mariam and all the loved ones," shared a fifth.
Amadou Bagayoko lost his sight at the age of 15
Amadou lost his sight at an early age due to a congenital cataract. He joined Mali's Institute for the Young Blind, where he met Mariam Doumbia in 1976.
Mariam had gone blind at the age of five. The two reportedly connected through the school's music program and soon began performing together. They would later marry and form the musical duo known worldwide today as Amadou & Mariam.
In the early years, they called themselves "the blind couple from Mali" and performed locally through the 1980s. In interviews, Amadou often spoke about his love for Western artists such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, James Brown, and Stevie Wonder, whose records, he said, were among the few available in Mali during his youth.
NME reports that in an interview, Amadou & Mariam stated:
"There were many musicians, many artists there. And Barack Obama came to meet us. We talked a bit. Barack Obama told us that he liked our music. Malian music, too. We were very, very happy."
A funeral date for Amadou Bagayoko has not yet been announced.
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