Some musical artists just make me want to die. In a good way. One of them, is Amadou & Mariam. They are intriguing for more reasons than their unabashed musical talent: They are from Mali (making the title of their latest album fairly straightforward), they are married, and they are blind.
I harbor this theory that if more people listened to Amadou & Mariam the world would be brighter, warmer, and that humanity's collective stress level would subside (less collective cortisol buildup means maybe less warfare? Less aggression? Less greed? Less shitty driving?).
The couple has made sweet music together for almost 30 years. I got hooked on them in graduate school with the album Dimanche a Bamako (notable track highlights: "Sénégal Fast-Food", and "Politic Amagni").
I declare, here and now, with great pomp and circumstance, at my desk, that Welcome to Mali is one of the best albums of 2009. I herewith provide a track highlight: "Magossa". Enjoy. (Thank you, lala.com)
I got into this on Lala because of you and listened to the whole album of a Friday afternoon. I loved it, though maybe a little immune to its world-changing potentialities by parents who were into "world music" so now all African music sort of melts into my brain as background music without taking much of an effect. I did not, however, realize they are blind. That is rad.
ReplyDeleteI *love* Sabali! (Just perusing your old posts, forgive me, I'm catching up :)
ReplyDeleteI love A&M as well. Sabali has a cool electronic sound that was sort of new for them - I love when artists try something different and pull it off! They're just so freakin cool.