Amadou Bagayoko, one half of Malian duo Amadou & Mariam, dies at 70
BAMAKO, Mali — Renowned guitarist and singer Amadou Bagayoko of Mali’s music duo Amadou & Mariam has died. He was 70.
Mali’s Minister of Culture Mamou Daffé paid tribute to the blind musician in a televised broadcast on state TV. He said that Bagayoko died Friday in the city of Bamako, his birthplace, but didn’t give further details.
Bagayoko went blind when he was 15 because of a congenital cataract. He studied music at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind, where he met his future wife, Mariam Doumbia. They formed a band called Mali’s Blind Couple in 1980, making their mark locally and internationally.
Their music, which blends traditional African influences with elements of rock, blues and pop, has won them a global following. They produced over 10 award-winning albums, including France’s Grammy Awards equivalent, Victoire de la Musique, in 2005, for “Dimanche à Bamako” and again in 2013 for “Folila.” “Dimanche à Bamako” also won them one of the BBC Radio Awards for World Music in 2006.
Their 2008 album “Welcome to Mali” was nominated for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the Grammys.
Bagayoko’s last world-class performance with Doumbia was at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
He is survived by his wife and a son, Sam, also a musician.
French health ministry extends smoking ban
France to ban smoking at beaches, parks and outside schools from July 1st to protect children.
Supreme Court allows Trump administration to end humanitarian status for some migrants
The move to grant a stay in the case means that the Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans who were granted temporary parole under the program known as CHNV would lose their temporary legal status to be in the U.S.
Wes Anderson peers into the hollowness of extreme wealth in ‘The Phoenician Scheme’
Benicio Del Toro plays a globe-trotting tycoon trying to convince his estranged daughter (Mia Threapleton) to be his heir. The film is darker, angrier and more violent than Anderson's usual fare.
Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape, sexual assault charges in U.K.
On Friday, Brand pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and assault that date back more than 25 years. He says the charges are politically motivated. His trial is set for 2026.
Can this nasal spray slow down Alzheimer’s? One couple is helping scientists find out
Joe Walsh is the first Alzheimer's patient to be treated with an experimental nasal spray designed to reduce inflammation in the brain.
Oil companies face a wrongful death suit tied to climate change
Julie Leon died of hyperthermia in Seattle on June 28, 2021 — the hottest day in the city's history. A lawsuit claims she was a victim of oil companies' "misrepresentations" about climate change.
