Amadou and Mariam

Singer Mariam Doumbia and guitarist/vocalist Amadou Bagayoko met more than 30 years ago at the Institute for Young Blind People in Bamako, the capital of Mali, and they've been performing as a duo for almost as long. For years, they've been stars in West Africa and in France, where they now have a home. But that turned out to be just the start for them. Following the release of their 2005 Nonesuch debut, Dimanche à Bamako, the middle-aged, married pair was embraced by a new, multi-generational audience in the US and in the UK. They were welcomed at indie rock-leaning festivals like Lollapalooza, Coachella, and Glastonbury and have been asked to tour with such artists as former Blur front-man Damon Albarn, on his itinerant revue, Afrika Express; the Scissor Sisters, on a series of English dates; and Coldplay, who've chosen the couple as the opener for their spring '09 US dates. Welcome to Mali, the duo's adventurous second Nonesuch disc, illustrates why.

The blind husband and wife duo (and full band) will bring their signature mix of Malian blues, rock, pop, West African traditional music and a diverse range of global sounds.  In recent years, their collaborations with Damon Albarn (Gorillaz), Paris-based music provocateur Manu Chao, and stadium tours opening for Coldplay and U2 have spread their infectious, innovative music far and wide.  Their collaborative spirit also imbues their newest recording Folila (to be released in March on Nonesuch Records) which will feature guest appearances by Santigold; TV on the Radio; Nick Zinner of the Yeah, Yeah Yeahs; Theophilus London, and Bassekou Kouyate (introduced to the Twin Cities in 2010 by the Walker and Cedar).