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The universal sounds of Amadou & Mariam
Welcome To Mali: Saturday night in Bamako
Paris
17/11/2008 -
Amadou: Of course there’s a message, it’s that our music is universal, and can be played by all kinds of people. The common point with us is that we all like the same musical genres and we also want to mix them up, because that gives birth to new sounds. Getting together and singing with Keziah Jones, Damon Albarn or Mathieu Chedid – one of our first friends in France – is a way of showing that whether you’re from the north or the south, we can all make music together.
Sabali, the first single, is a surprising electro-pop concoction produced by British musician Damon Albarn. How did you come to collaborate with him?
A: We met for the first time in Mali, when he was setting up the African Express festival. Then later, we played together in Kinshasa and Liverpool. We’ve done quite a few things with him and finally, when we wanted to record an album, we asked him. We started work on Sabali in Mali to begin with.
Mariam: He wrote the music and I wrote the lyrics.
A: At first, it was on guitar. When we recorded in London, there were violins, synths, drums… the song evolved. It was the instruments and sounds that changed.
Were you always aware that your music had this potential, or did you discover it on your last album?
A: Our music had this potential but we hadn’t explored it. When we started playing in Mali, we were told to go to France because our music could do well there. It had a modern feel and Malians could understand it, and they knew it was universal. But for some, when there isn’t any kora, ngoni or balafon, it’s no longer African music. I adore traditional music, but there are also modern musicians who are aiming at different things.
Your songs are often written by only one or the other. Don’t you work together on them?
M: We each work on our own. Personally, I write at night. Amadou writes during the day. At some point, I call him and he tells me to add something here, take out something there. We do the arrangements together.
A: It’s a question of availability. Because when you want to create a song, it’s best to be alone for the inspiration to come. You really create in solitude. And then after, you get together to work on it.
Do you compose and write everyday, or do you need the pressure of an upcoming recording session?
A: A bit of both. Before making a new album, we always have a few songs in reserve. And those are the ones we start with, but there are also songs we write just before going into the studio.
M: For example, the song Magosa, which is on Welcome to Mali, that’s one I composed in the studio.
A: Generally, all the songs that could be hits we write while recording. The inspiration comes at the right moment. We don’t force it, but when it’s time to go to the studio, you can really focus and not bother about all the other things you have to do.
Are seen any differently by your compatriots since Dimanche à Bamako ?
A: Yes, our success has given others hope. They saw us when we were young, when we’d just started out. We started from nothing and to get to where we are now, that means that having courage pays off. Malians are very proud of us, we represent a lot for them. The proof is the large numbers of associations that ask us for our help.
In your career, is there any particular concert that made a special impression on you?
A: The Trans’musicales festival in Rennes, in 1997. That meant a lot to us because when we played there, we had no album out in France, and we were unknown to the public. The concert went down so well, that it really left a mark on us.
M: You can’t forget a moment like that; It’s because of that concert that we started to make a name for ourselves. When we got on stage, we didn’t know what was going to happen. I was very tense and stressed out. But once we’d played and the audience was happy and asked for more, it was an emotional moment for me.
African music has just lost one of its major figures, Miriam Makeba. What did she mean to you?
M: Miriam Makeba meant a lot to us. We met in South African, and she also came to Mali. She came to the Institute for the Young Blind, to offer her support. When I was small I listened to her songs a lot. I loved Malaika. I loved her voice. She made a real impression on me, so I’m very sad she’s no longer with us, but there’s nothing we can do against death.
A: We listened to her a lot, and she inspired us a lot. She was towering figure, and very politically committed to change in her country, South Africa. She was an example, and all female singers wanted to follow in her footsteps.
Bertrand Lavaine
Translation : Hugo Wilcken
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