ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Guitarist Amadou Bagayoko has died. He was 70 years old. He was half of the renowned duo Amadou & Mariam. Known as the Blind Couple from Mali, they lifted their country's music to stages around the world.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SABALI")
AMADOU AND MARIAM: (Singing in non-English language).
SHAPIRO: NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento has this appreciation.
ISABELLA GOMEZ SARMIENTO, BYLINE: Amadou Bagayoko picked up his first instrument as a toddler. It was a West African drum, known as a djembe. By the time he was 10, he played harmonica and flute. Guitar came soon after. As his musical talents blossomed, Bagayoko lost his vision. He'd been born with a cataract in his eyes, and by the age of 16, he was blind. He spoke about that period of his life with NPR's World Cafe...
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
AMADOU BAGAYOKO: (Non-English language spoken).
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: ...Saying it was not difficult because he'd prepared himself for that moment. He soon arrived at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind. There, a singer named Mariam was learning braille and giving music lessons.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED NARRATOR: Amadou's guitar and the beautiful verse of Mariam do not take long to harmonize within the group, Eclipse, made of both sighted and nonsighted musicians. This group traveled far and wide through the cities and bush land of Mali, raising awareness of health problems that can lead to blindness.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Amadou and Mariam fell in love and started a band together in the 1980s. That's an interlude from their album "Eclipse" that recounts their origin stories. For decades, their sound merged Mali and blues with rock and pop influences.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "A CHACUN SON PROBLEME")
AMADOU AND MARIAM: (Singing in non-English language).
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: The duo eventually moved to Paris. In 2005, they released their breakthrough album "Dimanche A Bamako" or "Sunday In Bamako." It was a collaboration with the European singer and producer Manu Chao.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SENEGAL FAST FOOD")
AMADOU AND MARIAM: (Singing in non-English language).
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Amadou and Mariam went on to appear at festivals around the world and performed a series of concerts in complete darkness. They spoke to NPR's Weekend Edition with the help of an interpreter.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)
BAGAYOKO: (Through interpreter) We wanted to put people who can see into the world of those who can't. You can appreciate music even without vision. You can lean into your imagination. There's actually a lot you can learn by listening to music without trying to see.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BEAUX DIMANCHES")
AMADOU AND MARIAM: (Singing in non-English language).
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Lyrically, Amadou and Mariam celebrated their love and joy of life, but they also instilled a message of hope and resilience to the people of Mali during difficult sociopolitical circumstances. This song, "Demissenou," advocates for the well-being of children, even as the country faced high levels of unemployment and sickness.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DEMISSENOU")
AMADOU AND MARIAM: (Singing in non-English language).
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Amadou and Mariam continued touring and releasing music until the end of Amadou's life. In 2024, they performed at the closing ceremony for the Paralympic Games in Paris. Bagayoko died last week in Mali. He is survived by his wife and musical partner, Mariam, their son and their grandchildren. Thousands of people gathered in Bamako over the weekend to pay their respects. Isabella Gomez Sarmiento, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DEMISSENOU")
AMADOU AND MARIAM: (Singing in non-English language). Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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