About Amadou & Mariam
Once upon a time, two Malians met in Bamako while performing with the choir of the blind home where they lived. They formed a duo and made beautiful music together in Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast as "The Blind Couple of Mali." Then they released Sou Ni Tile and lived happily ever after. That is the simple story of Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia, according to the liner notes. The real Sou Ni Tile ("Night and Day" in Bamanan) is infinitely more complex, written by Amadou and Mariam and performed by a multiethnic group of French, African, Indian and other players. The first notes of the ballad, "Je Pense a Toi" ("I Think of You") are played not on West African kora or calabash, but the South Indian tabla. Yet this lush, mournful tune is absolutely Malian. Amadou's painful cry of love twines in and out of the violin lines, while the rich guitar chords pull the melody along over the smooth stroking electric bass and plush keyboards. Another sweet tearjerker is "Pauvre Type" ("Poor Guy"), in which Amadou invites us to look at the life of an impoverished youth trying to have fun on a Saturday night, borrowing clothes from relatives and buying tea, sugar and a single cigarette on credit before meeting his friends to party. The bluesy vocal presses gently against a pulsing Latin percussion, and the gaps in the duel are filled by the interjection of a tight trombone battery, reinforcing the desperation and delight of the lyrics and creating a pop masterpiece. The entire album is a taut balance between sadness and joy. Even the lilting reggae of "A Radio Mogo" (a praise song "To Radio Workers") has a blue tint underneath Mariam's thankful voice and the pulsing brass. In between Amadou and Mariam have released three more albums and received wide recognotion. They have played lots of festivals around the world.
After four acclaimed albums, Amadou & Mariam, the blind husband and wife duo from Mali, were beginning to sound like one-trick ponies. Mariam Doumbia’s wailing voice and the stinging electric blues lines of the guitarist Amadou Bagayoko made for a thrilling combination, but if you had one of their records, you probably didn’t need another. Now the cavalry arrives in the form of the maverick globalista Manu Chao, who has sprinkled his magic dust all over Dimanche à Bamako.
The earthy appeal of the duo’s previous work is still present in gritty abundance, but Chao (whose 1998 album Clandestino sold four million copies worldwide) has transformed their sound, sharpening the colours and textures through his flair for an irresistible pop melody. The record has burst into the French top 20, and with the duo playing festival dates this summer, and appearing on Later with Jools Holland this Friday, it is set to become a phenomenon here.
After four acclaimed albums, Amadou & Mariam, the blind husband and wife duo from Mali, were beginning to sound like one-trick ponies. Mariam Doumbia’s wailing voice and the stinging electric blues lines of the guitarist Amadou Bagayoko made for a thrilling combination, but if you had one of their records, you probably didn’t need another. Now the cavalry arrives in the form of the maverick globalista Manu Chao, who has sprinkled his magic dust all over Dimanche à Bamako.
The earthy appeal of the duo’s previous work is still present in gritty abundance, but Chao (whose 1998 album Clandestino sold four million copies worldwide) has transformed their sound, sharpening the colours and textures through his flair for an irresistible pop melody. The record has burst into the French top 20, and with the duo playing festival dates this summer, and appearing on Later with Jools Holland this Friday, it is set to become a phenomenon here.
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