Grammy-Nominated Musician Dead at 70: RIP to Amadou Bagayoko

Amadou Bagayoko, who rose to global fame alongside his wife as part of the blind musical duo Amadou & Mariam, has died.

The Grammy-nominated artist passed away on Friday, April 4, in his hometown of Bamako after an illness, Mali’s Minister of Culture Mamou Daffé revealed, per the Associated Press. He was 70.

Although Bagayoko’s cause of death was not disclosed, his son-in-law Youssouf Fadiga told Agence-France Presse that “he had been ill for a while,” France 24 reported. The musician was reportedly taken to a clinic on April 4 after feeling fatigue and passed away later that day, their France-based manager, Yannick Tardy, said.

Born in Bamako, Mali in October 1954, Bagayoko lost his vision at the age of 15 due to a congenital cataract and began studying at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind, where he met Doumbia, who went blind at age five, in 1976. The pair, who would later marry, formed the band Mali’s Blind Couple, later renamed to Amadou & Mariam, and began touring together in the 1980s.

Blending traditional Malian music with rock guitars and western blues, Amadou & Mariam released three albums before their 2004 record, Dimanche à Bamako, launched them to international stardom. That album, as well as 2013’s Folila, received Victoire de la Musique’s awards, France’s Grammy Awards equivalent

In total, the group produced 10 award-winning albums, with their 2008 album Welcome to Mali receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary World Music Album. The musical duo also composed the official song for the 2006 football World Cup in Germany, played at the closing ceremony concert for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, became one of Africa’s bestselling duos, and played alongside other musicians including Coldplay, U2, and Stevie Wonder, according to The Guardian.

As Bagayoko was laid to rest in Bamako on Sunday, April 6, thousands gathered to paid their respects, including Malian musician Salif Keita, who said, per RFI, “We lost a colleague, we lost a friend, we lost a relative. His disappearance leaves a great void, but his records are there, his texts are there. He will never die because he’s going to stay in our hearts.” Daffé, who was also in attendance, added, “The world of culture loses a great man. He has brought Malian culture high.”

Bagayoko is survived by his wife and a son, Sam, also a musician.