Amadou and Miriam : What's their deal?

Alex, these people are just the French equivalent of Berkeley granola -type people, the sort of people you usually proclaim to be "assholes".

Not that this is a valid reason for not enjoying Manu Chao's music, just a bit of anecdotal detail...

I really like what Chao brought to the new record, I'm fine with toe-tappin' drum machines setting the pulse & extra reverb, it's a strange hybrid. A lot more successful than Chao's solo records (which, like Adam, I can't listen to all the way through).

I like 'em too, but calling them 'real music' presupposes that too many other types of music are not "real" music. I doubt that Amadou & Mariam would use such a term.

28/04/2006 : SAN FRANCISCO
salle : Bimbo's

TONS of great tunes, and a surprising amount of variety (love the chanting on "La Réalité" where it sounds like they're saying, "Soul Fire" over and over again). It's light and poppy enuf for summertime dancing & drinking, but the fundamental weight and beauty of the Malian blues base really shines through. Tough tightrope to walk...

Never comes across as weak, watered down, hippified or strictly for the NPR set, either. I mean, it'll certainly appeal very strongly to them fuckers, but it doesn't seem to be a product of their sensibility, or a sop thrown in its direction. Basically, "Dimanche" just sounds natural -- relaxed and joyful in spite of the sometimes heavy-handed mod/pop production.

Truth be told, I could use a little less of Manu Chau on this record. While some of its best moments benefit hugely from his influence ("Caminons Sauvages"), I'd like the album better without borderline-Afro-kitsch tracks like "Sénégal Fast Food" and "Taxi Bamako".

Still, pretty much every tune is instantly appealing, and more than half are durable, out-of-the-park winners. One of the best pure pop albums I've heard in the last few years, no matter what the origins.

P.S. I've heard some of their earlier material, and it hasn't appealed to me nearly as much. Deeper and arguably more "authentic", but the standout tracks are fewer and farther between.

and yeah he is a really great guitarist --- got straight-up nasty on some o that stuff.

as with too many albums these days it's probably too long by a song or two, but i think the production is what makes Dimanche... so great (my choice for Album of the Year 2005). not to say their earlier records are bad, cuz there's great stuff there as well. but he pulls out/highlights/layers all sorts of stuff that on earlier albums are missed opportunities.

Totally illogical though all that is.

Really though, this album is just impossible to hate. Strikes all kinds of "right" balances without being tame or too tasteful. Not sure if one can really *love* it (like another album pimped to the NPR set last year, Sharon Jones') but I'll root for their success. Sometimes good music is just good music and can't be quibbled apart.

but the recent record is really quite good. would like to hear some of their malian cassettes and cds from before they had int'll record deals...just curious.

after posting something on Bassekou on the whirrled music thread, I figured I'd wake this thread for a highly highly recommended crosspost

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba - Segu Blue

heard this in a soul food place, my friend thought it was Amadou & Miriam but it obviously wasn't the last one and it didn't sound like what I'd heard of their earlier stuff because it was more spare & folky, no traditional drum kit, but their harmonies do sound similar. Album is 100% solid all the way through and completely recommended to anyone who liked the Amadou & Miriam record and wishes they could hear more in that style without all the techno / drum loop trappings, Bassekou can play

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=25184
http://www.myspace.com/bassekoukouyate

Cool! I'm def going to check that out.

I went to a wedding last year in Marseille and they played Beaux Dimanches, i was all awww.

By the way, it's Mariam with an A not an I.

-- Curt (cgould), vendredi 12 août 2005 03:03 (2 years ago) Bookmark Link

please ppl make an effort OK

also "Dogons" is on repeat lately

Uh, I don't see the connection between A&M and Bassekou Kouyate at all (at least, not beyond the shared nationality). Dimanche A Bamako is full-sounding, urban, hooky, propulsive and outward-looking in its influences. Segu Blue is sparse, raw, abstract, reflective, pastoral, traditional. It also centres around the ngoni, whereas A&M don't use them at all (although their guitar playing is ngoni-influenced).

(...but if you place Toumani Diabate between the two, then I think you can trace a discernible line...)

I would agree that the connection is somewhat vague, like I said it's mainly the sound of the choral harmonies -- Segu Blue is largely about showcasing the ngoni playing. waking up this thread may have been impulsive and probably only underlines how little I know about African music, this is less of a musicology based recommendation and more of a 'if-you-liked-that-record-here's-another-one-that-just-came-out-that-you-may-like' post. though I'm always up for any excuse to wake up the Amadou and Mariam thread because I really like them

This is album is among the most well-produced things I've ever heard.

is

Where's the love for the new album? Damon's produced Sabali is a gem.

I just read Erin M. rave about it on her blog. It's an overpriced import for Americans from Amazon, wonder where else I can get it.

Here they are recently with Johnny Marr--

wow thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SJR81-JIwA

RIP Amadou

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250404-amadou-of-malian-blind-music-duo-amadou-mariam-dies-aged-70

They were so good.

This is very sad news

Noooo.

Too young. Blind at 16, overnight star at 50 and now gone. Poor Mariam. The 2 of them always looked so sweet together onstage