Amadou & Mariam welcome you to Mali

By Niema Jordan
Published: March 24th, 2009 | 4:00am

On stage, Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia don traditional African garbs in royal purples and brilliant golds. Side by side Bagayoko plays his guitar as Doumbia sings songs of love, justice, and peace. The duo, known as Amadou & Mariam, puts on high-energy shows that keep the audience dancing nonstop. Even when the predominantly French lyrics are shared with German-, English-, and Portuguese-speaking listeners, the spirit of happiness in their music is not lost in translation.

On the second floor of the newly built Cooper Square Hotel in New York City’s East Village, the couple (they’ve married for nearly 30 years) is mellow. Bagayoko is wearing a black blazer and black pants. Doumbia is sporting a brown pinstriped suit. Doumbia is fairly quiet as her husband answers most of the questions that are being asked in English and translated to French by their manager. The interview is happening through filters, and though words may be altered by the time they become English again, one thing that isn’t lost is the couple’s chemistry. They say the same thing at the same time and complete each other’s sentences. When one seems eager to answer a question, the other takes a step back. Their bodies are always angled towards one another, even though they aren’t facing.

If you are meeting the group for the first time, Welcome to Mali, Amadou & Mariam’s follow up to their Grammy nominated 2005 release Dimanche à Bamako (Nonesuch), may not be what you expect. “It’s not a typical Malian sound,” explains Bagayoko of the eclectic album, “but it’s a Malian sound from the roots.”

The album’s first track “Sabali” was produced by Damon Albarn, a member of alternative band Blur and co-creator the virtual band the Gorillaz. He brings an electronic sound to the track that immediately breaks down notions of what the album will sound like. On the track “Ce N’est Pas Bon,” roughly translated as “This is Not Good,” Amadou & Mariam use their voices to take a stand against injustices that they see worldwide. “We don’t like dictatorship,” explains Bagayoko.

“We don’t like the hypocrisy in government,” agrees Doumbia, nodding her head.

“It is a song about the behavior of politicians,” continues Bagayoko.

Longtime producers Marc-Antoine Moreau and Lauren Jais ensure that the rest of the album has a bit of something for everyone. While the Ivory Coast’s Tiken Jah Fakoly adds reggae vocal stylings to the fourth track on the album, “Djama,” Somali-Canadian emcee K’Naan lends his rhyme skills to the eighth track, “Africa.” It has all come together to create what the group says is their best album “We like all of our albums,” says Doumbia, “but Welcome to Mali, is the one that is now living.”

The album is just another phase is the couple’s musical growth. “It took us a while to decide to be a group,” explains Doumbia. But since committing there has been no turning back. The couple first started performing together as part of a larger ensemble in Bamako at the Institute for Young Blind People. Through the years they have gone from a folk band featuring a line up of blind musicians to a band with heavier rock influences.

They’ve also recorded six albums of traditional Malian music. “The process of creating the album feels very natural,” explains Bagayoko. It’s partly because they have been working with same producers for so many years and partly because, as a couple, they can work on music and share their inspiration with each other at any time. “We share a lot of the same vision about music, he says, as Doumbia smiles in agreement.

Seeing them interact explains how they have been able to perform together for more than three decades and how they can be on their 11th release and still going strong. It also illustrates why Welcome to Mali, their newest album, flows so well. Amadou & Mariam truly understand each other.

This summer even more people will be introduced to their chemistry when they open for Coldplay. After meeting Amadou & Mariam at the taping of a show for BBC London, the winners of this years Song of the Year Grammy asked the über-talented duo to accompany them during select U.S. dates of their summer tour. “We are happy to open for the group,” says Bagayoko.

“It is a chance to be introduced to a new audience,” adds Doumbia.

Though the translation comes across stiffly, access to new people is not something that either Bagayoko or Doumbia take lightly. “We feel a responsibility because sometimes we are the only people that someone knows from Mali,” says Amadou. For this reason they believe in paying attention to what they say, they believe in sharing positive music but also having a message. In addition, they note that their success can be inspirational. They are a couple that has been married for many years, raised three children, and found success in an industry where few have found longevity. They have managed to accomplish so much all with the barrier of being blind.

“People can identify with us,” says Bagayoko, adding, “And not only handicapped people. We have overcome and we are successful. They can take us as an example.”

Still Doumbia is sure to point out, awareness does not mean being constricted. “At the same time, we represent a lot of things, but it does not weigh heavy on us,” she concludes.

Once the interview is over, Amadou & Mariam enjoy a few moments together before the next set of reporters asks for their life stories. Relaxing just a tad before they spend hours in front of a camera, they move closer to each other and their voices drop to a near whisper. Maybe they are reflecting on what has been said, maybe they are talking about how to incorporate more of the John Lee Hooker–type of blues that inspires them. Perhaps they are talking about their favorite bands, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. Whatever they are doing, Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia appear happy with the one-on-one moment. It’s the type of happy that rubs off on people around them. It’s the joy that is evident when listening to the album. Love, music, and happiness, this is Mali.

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