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Amadou Bagayoko of Acclaimed Malian Duo Amadou & Mariam Dead at 70

Amadou Bagayoko, singer and guitarist in the Grammy-nominated Malian duo Amadou & Mariam, has died at the age of 70.

Mali’s Minister of Culture Mamou Daffé said on state TV that Bagayoko died Friday in the city of Bamako, his birthplace. As Amadou & Mariam, the duo brought Malian music to the world stage, attracting famous fans like Stevie Wonder, David Gilmour, and Damon Albarn; the latter enlisted the duo to take part in his Africa Express project, co-produced their Grammy-nominated 2009 album Welcome to Mali, and recruited Amadou & Mariam to open for Blur during that band’s reunion shows in 2009. Bagayoko’s jaunty style of playing — fusing Malian music with a Western rock sound — landed him on Rolling Stone ’s list of the 250 Best Guitarists.

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