Malian duo in Addis Abeba
As part of the French Language celebration Week, the Alliance éthio-française organized a concert by two Malian singers, Amadou& Mariam, held on Wednesday March 19th.
Amadou & Mariam are Grammy Award-nominated musical duo composed of the couple Amadou Bagayoko (guitar and vocals) and Mariam Doumbia (vocals). The pair, known as “the magic couple from Mali” met at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind.
Defying the advice of the school authorities who felt their union could never work, they became a couple, both romantically and musically. On leaving the school in 1983, they began working as a duo.
Since the late 1990s Amadou & Mariam have produced a unique mix of unforgettable pop melodies and contagious rhythms, driven by Amadou’s bluesy electric guitar and the compelling interplay of their two voices.
Over the last few years big-selling albums such as ”Welcome to Mali” and ”Dimanche à Bamako” have taken Amadou and Mariam on an epic journey that has made the couple the best-selling – and best-loved – act to come out of Mali. Along the way they have performed with the likes of Damon Albarn, Manu Chao, the Scissor Sisters, Herbert Grönemeyer, K’Naan, Keziah Jones, and Pink Floyd’s guitarist David Gilmour. They have also played at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in honor of President Barack Obama and the FIFA’s Kick-Off Celebration for 2010’s World Cup.
Their eighth album Folila (which means “music” in Bambara) was released on April 2nd 2012.
