AMADOU & MARIAM – Mon., August 6, 2012 – Capitol Theater

Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia (Amadou & Mariam) are a one-of-a-kind duo of musical collaboration from Mali, West Africa. Celebrated throughout the world not just for their unique and eclectic style of music but also because they are both blind. Known as the “blind couple of Mali” Amadou met Mariam at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind, where they both performed in the Institute’s Eclipse Orchestra. Amadou was introduced to the Guitar at an early age by his Uncle, whose friends
were Tidiani Kone and Leba Diabate of the revered Super Rail Band. From 1974 when Amadou played the guitar for Les Ambassadeurs du Motel to 1980 when the couple got married and began playing music together, the duo have let very little get in the way of their desire to create music and bring it to the masses.

Their successful career has taken them from Mali, Ivory Coast, France, World Cup, Lollapalooza (August 5th ), Asia and to nearly every corner of the world. Along the way they have collaborated with the best in the business, including Manu Chao, Knaan, Damon Marley & Nas and U2, and have appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Notable awards include the French Victoire de la Musique Prize for best world music album Dimanche a Bamako in 2005, two BBC radio 3 awards for world music, and a Grammy nomination for ‘Welcome to Mali’ in the Best Contemporary World Music Album at the 2010 awards. Nowadays the duo is busier than ever and united by strong family support as well as traditional sanagouyan community bonds in Mali. They play music that is sublime with infectious melodies
of traditional Malian Afro-blues fleshed out with Syrian violins, Cuban trumpets and Indian tablas, to create a sound that encompasses African blues-rock, Western pop, and funk.

This world-acclaimed 9-piece band is routing through Madison for the first time in between stops at Lollapalooza in Chicago and the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. The show is being co-presented by the Overture Center and the Marquette Neighborhood Association. The African Association of Madison and The Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired are lending support to the show. This Orton Park Festival opener (Orton is Aug. 23-26) is also aided by The Willy St. Co-op and Heartland Credit Union staff and membership.The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the UW African Studies Department are alerting their constituents of this not-to-be-missed show. That's quite a team united to help promote this show.