Thousands attended funeral of Malian star Amadou Bagayoko

Amadou Bagayoko learned guitar by studying British bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd

Thousands of people gathered in Mali on Sunday for the funeral of musician Amadou Bagayoko, of the world-renowned duo Amadou & Mariam.

Friends, relatives, fans and fellow artists flocked to the ceremony in the capital, Bamako – including musician Salif Keita and former prime minister Moussa Mara.

One of the most successful African musical acts of the 2000s, husband and wife duo Amadou & Mariam achieved global fame by combining West African influences with rhythm and blues.

Their breakthrough album, 2004’s Dimanche à Bamako, sold half a million copies worldwide and led to collaborations with Blur’s Damon Albarn, as well as appearances at the Glastonbury and Coachella festivals.

Amadou Bagayoko (1954-2025), iconic Malian guitarist, singer and composer of the famed duo Amadou & Mariam – known as “the blind couple of Mali” – passed away on 4 April in Bamako. He was 70.

The married singers, who met when she was 18 and he 21, took traditional Mali music and blended it with western rock and many other influences to shape a whole new sound that was both rich and playful. They would sell millions of albums for hits like Sunday in Bamako and Sabali.