He was one of Mali's great guitarists, "an incredible guitarist," said singer Matthieu Chedid upon learning of the death of Amadou Bagayoko, which occurred in a clinic in Bamako, his hometown, on Friday, April 4, following an illness. "He had been unwell for some time," said his son-in-law, Youssouf Fadiga, without further detail. Guitarist and singer, Bagayoko was 70 years old and formed the duo Amadou et Mariam with his wife, singer Mariam Doumbia. Following the announcement of his passing, tributes poured in on social media. Anonymous individuals and renowned artists from the international music scene alike, such as Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, Congolese star Fally Ipupa, who was currently working with the couple, and Malian keyboardist and singer Cheick Tidiane Seck, shared their condolences.

Both born in Bamako and hailing from families originating from the Sikasso region near the Burkina Faso border, Bagayoko and Doumbia were Mali's most famous couple. Both blind, they met at the Institute for Blind Youth in Bamako, where they were taking Braille classes. They were in their 20s at the time (Amadou was 4 years older than Mariam). She loved singing what she heard on the radio (Sheila, Sylvie Vartan, Dalida and Johnny Hallyday) and at weddings, the songs of Malian stars. She had not yet considered a singing career. He, the son of a mason, was a musician. He chose the path at the age of 13 when he learned that his surgery for congenital cataracts and trachoma had failed and he would not regain his sight.

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