Amadou & Mariam

Amadou & Mariam were a blind musical duo from Mali, composed of Bamako-born Amadou Bagayoko (guitar and vocals) (24 October 1954 – 4 April 2025) and Mariam Doumbia (vocals) (born 15 April 1958). As well as being a musical duo, they were a married couple. Amadou lost his sight at the age of 15; Mariam became blind when she was five years old as a consequence of untreated measles. Known as "the blind couple from Mali", they met at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind, where they both performed in the institute's Eclipse Orchestra, directed by Idrissa Soumaouro, and found they shared an interest in music. They became known in the early 2000s, particularly to the French public, for the album Dimanche à Bamako. Their album Welcome To Mali (2008) was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album in 2010. They performed together until Bagayoko died in 2025. Their music was described as "a thrilling mix of blues and rock with traditional African rhythms" and they became "one of Africa's most successful musical exports".