Amadou and Mariam in Poughkeepsie

Despite the difficulties its expatriate musicians have faced since the music-suppressing, militant Islamist coup that took place there in 2012, Mali continues to show the world how a fertile country it is for fine music. A perfect example: Afropop duo Amadou and Mariam, who will headline at the Bardavon on March 24.

The blind couple of Amadou Bagayoko (vocals, guitar) and Mariam Doumbia (vocals) met at Mali’s Institute for the Blind in 1974 and began performing together. By the mid-1980s, they’d made a name for themselves in the region with their danceable style of Malian blues. After moving to the Ivory Coast the pair started playing music festivals abroad and eventually relocated to Paris, where they recorded the massive French hit single “Je Pense A Toi.”


After racking up more hits in Europe, they began playing at major festivals in the US including Coachella and Lollapalooza. In 2007 they performed as part of Blur singer Damon Albarn’s Africa Express project in the UK, where they met New York dance pop band the Scissor Sisters. The duo supported the Scissor Sisters on their UK tour, and went on to collaborate with acts like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, Santigold, and others as they increasingly added electronic dance elements to their recordings.

Amadou and Mariam will perform at the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie on March 24 at 8pm. Tickets are $39 and up.