"Father of Afro-rock" Amadou Bagayoko dies at 70

The "Father of Afro-rock" and award-winning Malian musician Amadou Bagayoko has died, aged 70.

His death was announced by Mamou Daffé, Mali's Minister for Culture, on state television. Thousands attended his funeral in the country's capital, Bamako, on Sunday.

Alongside his wife, Mariam Doumbia, Bagayoko garnered international attention as one half of Amadou & Mariam, blending traditional Malian music with Western styles like blues, rock and pop.

Bagayoko was born in 1954, in Bamako, Mali. He became blind at 15 years old due to a congenital cataract. He studied at Mali's Instituted for the Young Blind, where he met his future wife and music partner, Doumbia, who had lost her vision at 5 years old.

Originally named Mali's Blind Couple, they adopted the name Amadou & Mariam after moving to Côte d'Ivoire, where they would record many records. They moved again in 1996, this time to Paris, releasing several albums under the French label Emarcy.

In 2004, they released their breakthrough album, Dimanche à Bamako. Produced by Franco-Spanish star Manu Chao, the record brought Amadou & Mariam to international audiences, where they found great success.

Amadou & Mariam would go on to perform at some of the largest music festivals in the world, support acts like U2, Blur and Stevie Wonder and appear on TV shows like Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

The duo's final concert was at the closing ceremony for the Paris 2024 Paralympic games. The event had 64,000 people at the venue and nearly 200 million television viewers.

Manu Chao, President of France Emmanuel Macron and former Malian Prime Minsiter Moussa Mara paid tribute to the musician on social media, which can be read below.

Amadou! On sera toujours ensemble...avec toi partout ou tu ira🙏
Mariam, Sam, toute la famille votre peine est ma peine.
Je vous aime@amadouetmariam #amadoubagayoko #manuchao #jepenseatoi #infinitatristeza pic.twitter.com/XbOEs1V69j

— Manu Chao (@manuchao) April 4, 2025

J’ai assisté ce dimanche 6 avril aux funérailles d’Amadou BAGAYOKO, le géant de la musique malienne qui a tant donné à notre pays et à l’Afrique. Les acteurs de la culture, les autorités du pays, de nombreux fans par milliers ont ainsi accompagné Amadou en sa dernière demeure.… pic.twitter.com/rZCRvo4zHl

— Moussa Mara (@MoussaMaraMali) April 7, 2025

La voix et la joie d’Amadou Bagayoko résonneront pour toujours dans nos cœurs. Avec Mariam, il a fait danser et chanter la France et le monde. Les yeux fermés, le cœur grand ouvert. À Mariam et à ses proches, j’adresse les condoléances émues de la Nation. pic.twitter.com/xCOWB8bqeS

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 5, 2025