Strolling through the remnants of the beat generation and tie-dyed counter-culture stores, I chanced upon this particularly religious store-of-sorts in Haight, San Fransisco. What we had there was not a subscription to a specific faith, but a showcase of all gods Eastern. As if, the omission of a deity would invoke the wrath of fire, earth, wind, and water. As I was left perplexed by the multitude of gods and forced to choose a religious fit, the store also cleverly displayed its clothing and other wares. Of course, I gave in (but that is another story).
And then I heard Amadou and Mariam. And the subsequent mis-labeling as chant music by the store-owner. A few words were exchanged, goodbyes were bid and we both left feeling happy. Amadou and Mariam are a blind couple from Mali, who met at the Institute for Young Blind People in Bamako in 1977. Since then, their fame and entourage have travelled across the world. Seamlessly funking traditional roots, they blend Amadou Bagayoko’s catchy guitar tunes with Mariam Doumbia’s soulful vocals, spiced with elements of jazz, blues, french folk, and electronica. A standing testimony to music transcending obstacles — both somatic and geographic.
Senegal Fast Food, from the album Dimanche a Bamako
by
Amadou & Mariam
~ posted by nithya
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