Amadou & Mariam
PROJECTS:
For the past forty-odd years, Amadou & Mariam have managed to joyfully combine their love story with a musical career while becoming, discreetly but surely, the most famous ambassadors for Malian music, and African music, all around the world; a golden status that they carry with brio and playfully challenge with each new album. Amadou & Mariam have collaborated with many different people and worked with producers that seem far removed from their universe, like Damon Albarn of Blur or Manu Chao. They have invited the best artists who are building tomorrow’s pop music to play on their naïve and lively songs (Santigold, TV On The Radio, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and have had their tracks remixed by Yuksek, Vitalic, Henrik Schwarz, Miike Snow and Ashley Beedle, leading the songs to the dance floor and underlining their intrinsically danceable quality. They’ve played the world’s biggest festivals, from Coachella to Glastonbury, and opened for huge bands such as Coldplay and the Scissor Sisters.
By enriching their Afro-pop with new pigments, by introducing to the world the richness and subtleties of African music, the duo has brought African music to the charts and to the dance floor. They’ve inspired many artists to mix Afro and electro sounds, such as MHD, DJ Mujava, Awesome Tapes From Africa, Four Tet or Jamie xx. This is proof that, if in the 80s certain crazy minds had fantasies of a Sono Mondiale, Amadou & Mariam are the ones who have made it a reality.
Following their hugely successful 2023 tour, Amadou & Mariam released a “best of” album in 2024 and look forward to the release of an album of new material in 2025.
PRESS QUOTES:
“Amadou & Mariam have broken incredible musical ground both in West Africa and abroad.”
NPR World Cafe
“The music, all bouncy, perky synth-pop, makes dancing the clear priority.”
The New York Times
“Amadou and Mariam infuse blues riffs and melodic pop hooks into traditional Malian music, creating rich sonic tapestries that are intensely joyful while retaining the muted cool of indie rock.”
The Washington Post
