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News Article
Mali's blind music stars release new album
(AFP, Monday November 17, 11:12 PM)
PARIS (AFP) - Blind Afro-blues stars Amadou and Mariam released a new album Monday, "Welcome to Mali", featuring a track produced by Damon Albarn of Blur and the Gorillaz.
Four years after their acclaimed "Dimanche a Bamako", the new album also features guest appearances by Keziah Jones and other African music stars.
Singer Mariam Doumbia and guitarist Amadou Bagayoko, now both in their 50s, met at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind.
Their mix of traditional Mali sounds with western pop and a blues-style has launched them to international fame. "Dimanche a Bamako" sold 800,000 copies.
Albarn produced the electro influenced "Sabali", meaning patience, which is the opening track on the new album and the first single.
The British rock star met the Malian couple in 2006, the year they recorded the official anthem for the World Cup finals in Germany. They appeared at the African Express music festival in Britain last year which Albarn organised.
"He liked Malian music and we learnt a lot from him," Bagayako told AFP. "He changes the pieces all the time and we work fairly instinctively."
"We wanted to widen out our musical style," said Doumbia. "When we were young we used to listen to rock, blues, pop, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd or James Brown."
Copyright © 2007 AFP. All rights reserved.
