Amadou and Miriam : What's their deal?

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Although the true artistic descendents of Peters and Lee are really the Eurythmics and G*ldfr*pp.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 12 August 2005 08:01 (twenty years ago)

Hearing them live is great because Amadou is a helluva guitar player with a pretty unique style that shows during solos. They also love to hear the audience clapping - because they don't see them.

It's really simple, hypnotic, feelgood music that, as a bunch of snotty house DJs/producers huddled together in a corner of the room, we hugely enjoyed live. Good introduction to African vibes in music for the general public too.

― blunt (blunt), Friday, 12 August 2005 09:21 (twenty years ago)

Live, they're like World Arena Disco Rock.
"ARE YOU EXCITED?!!?!?"

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Friday, 12 August 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)

I don't know if this has been discussed before, and slightly off-topic, but it seems like a good enough time to mention that the most recent Manu Chao record, "Siberie M'etait Contee", is very very good.

― b'angelo, Friday, 12 August 2005 19:55 (twenty years ago)

I wonder if the new Chao cd is available on a US label.

― steve-k, Friday, 12 August 2005 21:24 (twenty years ago)

Where can I purchase CD's of this group. I am very interested.

Thanks very Much

― henry florsheim, Wednesday, 17 August 2005 15:59 (twenty years ago)

Amazon works, I've been told.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

listening to 'camions sauvages' now, it IS spiff! and i'm not a world music easy sell

― jermaine (jnoble), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

gonna have to check this one out, never been a huge fan but it sounds like they've gone in a difft direction which may be more interesting to me, the manu chao production also intrigues me

they've def. generated a lot more buzz than in the past

― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 17 August 2005 22:05 (twenty years ago)

I'd suggest that this is gonna be a big christmas seller.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Thursday, 18 August 2005 01:21 (twenty years ago)

This is pretty great. It took me a little while to get past the Manu Chao idiosyncracies but it strikes a really good balance in fusing the african songs with a western production.
Should be good driving music.

― Baaderonixx on a long black leash (Fabfunk), Sunday, 21 August 2005 08:48 (twenty years ago)

it's funny to see thisjust now because I've recently been watching a lot of french cable (TV5) and they seem to put their songs on at all the intervals, and I was wondering who they were... am still not sure i like them though, maybe the particular song or two that they're playing on television aren't so good... any recommendations for songs?

― noname#1 (noname#1), Sunday, 21 August 2005 15:51 (twenty years ago)

Senegal fast food is tres Manu Chao-y and a great driving song.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 21 August 2005 20:19 (twenty years ago)

Dimanche à Bamako is my favourite album of 2005 thus far. There, I've said it.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Monday, 22 August 2005 09:42 (twenty years ago)

Hooo-ray! The lyrics are incredibly cringe-worthy though...

― Baaderonixx on a long black leash (Fabfunk), Monday, 22 August 2005 10:05 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Dimanche à Bamako very fun.

anyone heard the earlier records? any recommendations on one to get that's not the 'best of'?

― milton parker (Jon L), Tuesday, 4 October 2005 18:58 (twenty years ago)

They are quite unbelievably fantastic live... intensely, relentlessly pleasurable.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 5 October 2005 08:19 (twenty years ago)

I have now heard Dimanche A Bamako and Sou Ni Tile and I prefer the latter.

― 400% Nice (nordicskilla), Sunday, 9 October 2005 20:21 (twenty years ago)

My girl claims that their earlier material is better; I'm borrowing a few discs to check that.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 9 October 2005 22:10 (twenty years ago)

"borrowing a few discs"

― 400% Nice (nordicskilla), Sunday, 9 October 2005 22:36 (twenty years ago)

wow. why isn't everyone going nuts for amadou and mariam (and manu chao for that matter)???

― my name is john. i reside in chicago. (frankE), Thursday, 20 October 2005 13:25 (twenty years ago)

I wanna love 'em but can't afford the disc yet. And Manu Chao is somewhat more frothy and lite-ish than he has to be.

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Thursday, 20 October 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

Still an amazing album and a real crowd-pleaser in this household.

― Baaderonixx and the hedonistic gluttons (baaderonixx), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:00 (twenty years ago)

frothy and lite-ish

here, you mean? i really love the sound of this. with so much going on in a lot of the songs, everything gets to shine through. i haven't listened to his solo stuff in years, so i can't compare it, though.

― my name is john. i reside in chicago. (frankE), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:06 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, as much as I dislike the guy and could do without his guest vocals on the album, his production is pretty great on this.

― Baaderonixx and the hedonistic gluttons (baaderonixx), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:07 (twenty years ago)

Everyone in France is going nuts for Amadou & Mariam. They're proper pop stars over there.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:08 (twenty years ago)

I can't get enough of this album. I love the Manu Chao 'sound', too, and I don't necessarily agree that's it's too frothy but I like the descriptor.

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:10 (twenty years ago)

I mean, I seem to remember all the chat that Clandestino was recorded on various four-track cassette machines around Latin America, or something. I hardly can believe that with the way it sounds!

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

once again, i have to really recommend "Siberie M'etait Contee". I had not previously liked manu chao but this really turned me around. very, very unlike "clandestino." production sort of similar to the amadou and miriam record. don't know how easy it is to track down tho.

― b'angelo, Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:15 (twenty years ago)

I'll try Manu Chao more. I'm pretty sold on this A&M album being great though, they both look like Stevie Wonder!

― The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:16 (twenty years ago)

Anyone seen them live? They're playing here in Brussesl next month and I'm pretty tempted to go

― Baaderonixx and the hedonistic gluttons (baaderonixx), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:20 (twenty years ago)

of course, i now notice they were just in chicago last month. hearing this now, i'd have loved to opportunity to have seen them live...

― my name is john. i reside in chicago. (frankE), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:29 (twenty years ago)

yeah, in chicago a month or so ago. it was pretty good, had to leave early due to an extremely tired companion. the live performance was a little less varied than the record, though. very gallic rhythm section. i would say check it out.

― b'angelo, Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:30 (twenty years ago)

Manu Chao sorta annoys me. Try living in France for a while among the culture of gushing faux-gypsy teenage girls that have grown to adore him. As for his music - it sounds great when you first hear it, but it really wears over a WHOLE album, let alone three or four.

― High Tea in the Chinese Quarter (nordicskilla), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:35 (twenty years ago)

The idea that their is a culture of gushing faux-gypsy faux-teenage (faux?) girls in France that are growing to adore Manu Chao makes me almost want to like him.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:42 (twenty years ago)

I can't recommend their live show highly enough. I actually thought it was more varied than the album, in that it drew more explicitly on non-African music styles, almost like an encyclopedia of popular music from last 50 years. At various points, I heard traces of Eddie Cochran riffs, 60s garage rock, hard rock, reggae, blues, Latin/Cuban, hip hop, funky house, tribal house, techno and trance. There's an ultra-enthusiastic dreadlocked percussionist who almost steals the whole show, but the whole band radiate pure joy. Except for Mariam, who remains imperiously stony-faced throughout, even when the dreadlocked percussionist guy is playing right underneath her nose. And Amadou is a fantastic, fluid guitarist. It's also important that you clap along every now and again, even if you don't care much for clapping along, as A&M kind of thrive off the feedback, if that doesn't sound too patronising.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

The idea that their is a culture of gushing faux-gypsy faux-teenage (faux?) girls in France that are growing to adore Manu Chao makes me almost want to like him.

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...

― High Tea in the Chinese Quarter (nordicskilla), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:54 (twenty years ago)

...I mean I LIVE in Berkeley and I eat granola!

― High Tea in the Chinese Quarter (nordicskilla), Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:55 (twenty years ago)

That culture is way more pervasive in France than its Berkeley equivalent...

― Baaderonixx and the hedonistic gluttons (baaderonixx), Thursday, 20 October 2005 15:02 (twenty years ago)

Yes, but these folks are in France and I don't have to be around them which makes them more endearing than their American counterparts.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 20 October 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

I find violent criminals endearing so long as they stay locked up in jail!

― High Tea in the Chinese Quarter (nordicskilla), Thursday, 20 October 2005 15:06 (twenty years ago)

ok, I'm totally playing devil's advocate.

― High Tea in the Chinese Quarter (nordicskilla), Thursday, 20 October 2005 15:06 (twenty years ago)

Hey if the Franchies can dig Jerry Lewis I can be amused by their weird attempts to appropriate gypsy culture. Whatever this has to do with Manu Chao I have no idea.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 20 October 2005 15:35 (twenty years ago)

haha

― High Tea in the Chinese Quarter (nordicskilla), Thursday, 20 October 2005 15:39 (twenty years ago)

once again, i have to really recommend "Siberie M'etait Contee". There's so little info on this. Is it a proper Manu Chao album? Is it available anywhere in the states?

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 20 October 2005 15:44 (twenty years ago)

Anywhere to legally hear some of this online?

― Mickey (modestmickey), Thursday, 20 October 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

Amazon and junk'll have it. It's on the listening at the Tower near me.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 20 October 2005 15:55 (twenty years ago)

Amazon does have it, but it's a "limited edition import" and lists 6 tracks and not much information.

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 20 October 2005 16:00 (twenty years ago)

um?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 20 October 2005 16:06 (twenty years ago)

if, hypothetically people are interested in hearing the "Siberie", maybe email info at jazzinfection dot com? hypothetically.

― b'angelo, Thursday, 20 October 2005 16:16 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 39 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

It sounds a bit rougher in that video than usually

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 27 November 2008 15:35 (seventeen years ago)

Maybe Hoos will LOVE this--"Sabali" has electronic programming

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 27 November 2008 15:45 (seventeen years ago)

"Sabali" isn't particularly representative of the rest of the album, though. (Which has taken a few plays to break through the "here we go again" feeling engendered by over-playing its predecessor, but I'm starting to get there now...)

― mike t-diva, Thursday, 27 November 2008 15:48 (seventeen years ago)

Yeah, I love dthe previous one but I'm not really sure I wanna check out the new one

― baaderonixx, Thursday, 27 November 2008 16:16 (seventeen years ago)

Definitely worth checking out, I'd say. But be prepared for posiible initial weariness/wariness...

― mike t-diva, Thursday, 27 November 2008 16:46 (seventeen years ago)

WOW - it seems they've been invited to perform at Obama's inauguration!!

― baaderonixx, Friday, 28 November 2008 16:51 (seventeen years ago)

link?

― afin d’y être sublime sans interruption (Michael White), Friday, 28 November 2008 17:06 (seventeen years ago)

En français pour toi Michel:

http://next.liberation.fr/article/barack-obama-invite-amadou-et-mariam

― baaderonixx, Saturday, 29 November 2008 01:11 (seventeen years ago)

two months pass...

ok seriously what is holding up US release of the new one

what is the problem

admittedly it's a grower, at first it just seemed too redux with only two standout tracks but those tracks were so over the top outstanding I kept going back to the whole thing and all reservations were liquidated -- it's not redux at all, if anything they worked even more in there this time

― Milton Parker, Monday, 2 February 2009 07:18 (seventeen years ago)

Amadou & Mariam’s new album, Welcome to Mali, will be released in the US this March Talk to their US label Nonesuch. Nonesuch just released Rokia Traore's in the US even though it came out last year overseas.

― curmudgeon, Monday, 2 February 2009 07:56 (seventeen years ago)

It's on iTunes. Change your settings from the US (to UK or Canada) maybe?

― Lostandfound, Monday, 2 February 2009 08:06 (seventeen years ago)

For me it was a slow burner... but it turns out Welcome to Mali is a great record. It's surprising ILM didn't give a damn about it.

― Shin Oliva Suzuki, Tuesday, 3 February 2009 11:26 (seventeen years ago)

Agreed. Initial impression was "Pfft, we've heard all this before" - but I think that was a hangover from having played Dimanche A Bamako to death and beyond. I love the last track (as listed on the sleeve, not the hidden bonus track).

Rokia Traore's album also great.

― mike t-diva, Tuesday, 3 February 2009 11:52 (seventeen years ago)

This American is still waiting for A & M's March release here. Rokia's in the US on tour now. May go see here next week and need to get the new disc now that it's finally out here

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 3 February 2009 13:12 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

Cd finally coming out in the US Tuesday March 24. Big New York Times profile in Sunday March 22nd paper.

― curmudgeon, Monday, 23 March 2009 16:14 (seventeen years ago)

two months pass...

I really like the cd. They're on tour in the US now. Did Boston the other night and New York tonight. Plus they're on the Jimmy Fallon tv show at 12:35 am or something. Coming to the Birchmere outside DC Wednesday.

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 9 June 2009 02:38 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.expressnightout.com/content/2009/06/amadou_and_mariam.php World peace via Amadou & mariam says Christopehr Porter, or something like that.

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 9 June 2009 02:40 (seventeen years ago)

Great one and a half live show at the Birchmere, outside Washington DC last night. A very good percussionist, 2 energetic women dancers/background singers, keyboard, trap drums, and bass plus A & M. Amadou's guitar playing nicely captures Malian styles and psychedelic rock

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 11 June 2009 11:00 (seventeen years ago)

One and a half hour. Mariam's voice is impressive too

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 11 June 2009 11:00 (seventeen years ago)

They're also doing arena shows opening for Coldplay. I wonder what their audience thinks?

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 11 June 2009 14:52 (seventeen years ago)

They're also doing arena shows opening for Coldplay. I wonder what their audience thinks?

Time to buy a hot dog.

― Shin Oliva Suzuki, Thursday, 11 June 2009 14:59 (seventeen years ago)

five months pass...

holy shit I had never heard this sabali song b4! looked them up on youtube just because they were so awesome when I saw them at a festival this summer and i was feelin lonely 4 the friends i saw them with

― plaxico (I know, right?), Wednesday, 18 November 2009 00:35 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

Dimache a Bamako is the shit

― in my world of loose geirs (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 12 April 2011 22:20 (fifteen years ago)

Yes it is.

― Si tu parles, tu meurs. Si tu te tais, tu meurs. Alors, dis et (Michael White), Tuesday, 12 April 2011 22:53 (fifteen years ago)

Beautiful.

― Hey Look More Than Five Years Has Passed And You Have A C (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 12 April 2011 22:57 (fifteen years ago)

Yep

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 13 April 2011 03:06 (fifteen years ago)

Just put it on a few weeks ago for a friend who'd never heard it. Don't actually know what he thought of it, but I loved the hell out of it.

― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, 13 April 2011 03:40 (fifteen years ago)

eleven months pass...

New album is out!

― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 10:44 (fourteen years ago)

In case you forgot, here's "Dougo Badia" (feat. Nick Zinner & Santigold)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfJ-EmoQil8

― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 10:46 (fourteen years ago)

Seen mixed reviews of it, but have not heard it yet myself (well, one song).

NPR is streaming it for a bit

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/01/148919868/first-listen-amadou-and-mariam-folila?ps=mh_fl

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 12:55 (fourteen years ago)

And the Pitchfork review was discussed on a Pitchfork thread

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 12:56 (fourteen years ago)

two years pass...

i really can't believe dimanche a bamako is 10 years old! that fact is making me feel weird this morning

this is still in my every morning playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH4K-WLpVuo

― 1 P.3. Eternal (roxymuzak), Sunday, 13 April 2014 14:59 (twelve years ago)

ok....9 years old. still

― 1 P.3. Eternal (roxymuzak), Sunday, 13 April 2014 15:00 (twelve years ago)

Back in 2005 dimanche a bamako was my winter commute to work album, played on some horrendous quarter a gig samsung mp3 player that seemed like good kit at the time. I still love this album but have given up trying work out where the fuck the last decade has gone.

― xelab, Sunday, 13 April 2014 21:29 (twelve years ago)

I couldn't pick a fave because the album is jam-packed, but this ruled.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kp9cmTNaMw

― xelab, Sunday, 13 April 2014 21:54 (twelve years ago)

three years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SJR81-JIwA&list=PLdqZQPNShYrBYt2KnjACUMjDdSg6gzzvV&index=2
I love this!

― calzino, Wednesday, 4 October 2017 23:09 (eight years ago)

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

― calzino, Wednesday, 4 October 2017 23:13 (eight years ago)

seven years pass...

RIP Amadou

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

― Inside The Wasp Factory with Gregg Wallace (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 5 April 2025 10:49 (one year ago)

They were so good.

― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 5 April 2025 12:28 (one year ago)

This is very sad news

― DLC Soundsystem (dog latin), Saturday, 5 April 2025 15:01 (one year ago)

Noooo.

― curmudgeon, Saturday, 5 April 2025 18:29 (one year ago)

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

― curmudgeon, Monday, 7 April 2025 16:00 (one year ago)

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