Amadou Bagayoko, from Blind Duo Amadou & Mariam, dead at 70

Amadou Bagayoko, half of the blind Grammy-nominated duo Amadou & Mariamhave died. He was 70.

Bagayoko died on Friday, April 4 in Bamako, Captial of Mali, Per New York Times. Mali’s Minister of Culture Mamou Daffé announced his death with a statement broadcast on state television. “Amadou was a blind man who made his mark on the Malian and international scene,” read it, read, According to Reuters.

Thousands of fans gathered in Mali to honor the late musician on Sunday, April 6. A cause of death was not given, even though he suffered from a short illness.

“I took his hand and tried to do some movements with it, but it wasn’t moving,” said Mariam Doumbia told the BBC by Bagayoko’s last moments. “I said,” Amadou, don’t do this, talk to Mariam … but he didn’t speak anymore. ” Bagayoko was then taken to the hospital where he died.

“I thought that if Amadou went just like that, I’m, I’m alone,” Doumbia continued. “I was alone and I will stay alone in life.”

Bagayoko, who was born in 1954, had been interested in music from a young age. He became blind at 15 years old due to an innate cataract.

He met Doubia, his wife and musical partner, 1970 at the Institute for Young Blind People in Bamako. (Doubia became blind at 5 after suffering from measles.)

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“Mariam heard my voice on the radio and she liked it and how I played the guitar,” he told Okayafrica 2017. “After the meeting at the Mali Institute, we realized that we both had the same dreams with music.”

Five years after the meeting, they formed the band Mali’s blind pairs. Their music has West African influence together with rhythm and blues, rock and pop.

Music duo was nominated for three Grammys: Best Contemporary World Music Album for their 2004 Breakthrough album Sunday in BamakoBest contemporary world musical album for 2008’s Welcome to Mali and the best world musical album for Folil 2013.

2009 opened the band for Coldplay And also performed at the Nobel Peace Price Concert in Oslo the same year. They performed at Glastonbury 2023 and Coachella 2006. The duo is also credited for writing 2006 -Vm -Temo music.

Their latest album The confusion came out in 2017. They cooperated with Sofi Tukker on the single ”Mon Cheri ”2021. His final performance was at the closing ceremony for 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Bagayoko’s spokesman Djiby Sacko told the AFP News Agency, Per BBC, that he “will be buried in the family’s intimacy in the yard in his home.”