Amadou & Mariam, Gothenburg gig review — Malian duo inspire love and frenzy
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Mariam Doumbia and Amadou Bagayoko have been singing together for more than 40 years. As Amadou & Mariam, the blind husband-and-wife duo have become standard-bearers for Mali’s resilient music scene, adding elements of pop, dance, rock and blues to the folk stylings of their Bambara heritage. Since working with French-Spanish singer Manu Chao on their global breakthrough, 2004’s Dimanche à Bamako, they have collaborated with the likes of Damon Albarn and TV on the Radio.
The sweetly singing Doumbia and gritty guitarist Bagayoko are on a worldwide tour in advance of the release of a compilation celebrating the past two decades of their career, La Vie Est Belle, due out in September. In front of 400 attendees at the converted warehouse Film Studios, as part of the Clandestino Festival in Gothenburg, Sweden, Amadou & Mariam gave a warm and jubilant concert that felt like an affirmation of their entwined lives and career.
“Are you going to make love tonight?” asked Doumbia after being guided to the stage alongside Bagayoko, both resplendent in silvery robes, for the yearning opener “Ta Promesse”, one of the gentler numbers from 2017 album La Confusion. It was a proposition that their 12-song set did its utmost to inspire with a tender affirmative. On synth-pop “Sabali”, Doumbia’s serene vocals rose to an otherworldly falsetto, then she kissed Bagayoko’s shoulder, proclaiming “I love you” in a plethora of languages. On “Masiteladi”, another summery highlight from 2008’s Grammy-nominated Welcome to Mali, Bagayoko fired off a lithe guitar solo that seemed endless in the best way, perpetually on the verge of cresting. His huge grin was mirrored by much of the crowd.
Their seasoned showmanship could have set even the most sceptical heads nodding. With the duo mostly stationary, their backing band — polyrhythmic drummer Yvo Abadi, bassist Yao Dembélé and shimmying keyboardist Charles Frederik Avot — acted as de facto hypemen. They roused audience members into call-and-response singing on “Wiley Katoso” from 2012’s Folila. They incited fervent handclaps on “Dogon”, a 2005 live-album standout, and turned the “Billie Jean”-like pop-funk groove of “La Réalité” into a jazz-infused instrumental showcase that didn’t outstay its welcome.
Thrillingly, the secret weapon on Amadou & Mariam’s current tour might be their newest song, “Mogolu”, which will appear on La Vie Est Belle. Played mid-set, the bittersweet, urgent number instantly felt like a hit, its blend of Doumbia’s soothsaying calm and Bagayoko’s intensity propelling the audience into a frenzy.
By the time Amadou & Mariam took a final bow, at the end of festival staple “Beaux Dimanches”, claps began in vain for an encore. At Clandestino, some relief came later in the form of a mesmerising set by Somali musician and activist Sahra Halgan. But Amadou & Mariam’s persuasive call to love each other will be on the road for at least a few more months.
★★★★☆
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