Mariam Bagayoko
PROJECTS:
L’Amour à la Folie
The title of a new album and an upcoming Netflix documentary, L’Amour à la Folie celebrates the joyful 45 year marriage and career of the most famous ambassadors for Malian music, and African music, all around the world: Amadou & Mariam. Sadly, Amadou Bagayoko passed in April 2025. Mariam pays loving tribute to her late husband and the musical journey they shared, still accompanied by her faithful musicians, carrying the melodies that have made the couple a success, but also the songs that make up the repertoire of the new album, due for release this autumn.
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 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.
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
