Back to Mali with us! Today, we listen to Amadou & Mariam. My boss wrote to me, “My first thought about them was that they must be the coolest people on earth — black glasses and just bobbing their head’s around and singing like they can’t see anything. Then I later read that they are blind. Makes sense!” In fact, the two did meet at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind. They married when they were in the 20s, and are known as “The blind couple from Mali.”

Today, we are going to listen to a stripped down version of their song “Wily Kataso” off their album, Folila. I have to say, that I much prefer the album track. But I like to feature live performances if at all possible. What I don’t like here is Bagayoko’s guitar work, although he’s great at the end. Regardless, it’s the vocals that really carry it. (But I recommend clicking over the album track.)