Since meeting at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind in 1975, Amadou and Mariam have become international stars. With a backstory to rival Hollywood’s finest minds, the couple married in 1980, began releasing cassettes and started to play shows in their home country and across Africa. The release of their landmark 2005 album, Dimanche à Bamako, saw them garner attention from the wider world which led to international acclaim and collaborations with the likes of Damon Albarn, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV on the Radio.
Their style has been described as ‘Mail-blues’; they mix traditional sounds from their country with western rock and roll, Syrian violins, Cuban trumpets and Indian tablas.
Playing in Sheffield for the first time ever, catch this unique duo at the Leadmill as part of the Migration Matters Festival.
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- Tom Roper
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