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Liverpool’s world leading Disability and Deaf arts festival bring internationally renowned afro-blues duo to the Philharmonic Hall.
Amadou and Mariam produce music that infuses traditional Malian sound with rock guitars and instruments from Cuba, Egypt, Syria and India in a combination that has been dubbed “Afro-blues”.
The duo originally met in the “Mali Institute for the Young Blind” performing in the Institute’s Eclipse Orchestra. It was here that they discovered a shared interest in music. The couple made a name for themselves in the mid-80s playing Malian blues music, they attracted the attention of Stevie Wonder and went on to perform at festivals around the world.
Seven studio albums later and the duo have continued to expand their horizons – touring with Coldplay and U2 and jamming with musical heroes David Gilmour and Johnny Marr in recent years.
As worldwide attention for the husband and wife duo has grown, so indeed has the scope and ambition of their music – their latest album, Folila, features African artists from the duo’s hometown of Bamako as well as contributions from American artists such as TV on the Radio, Santigold and Nick Zinner.
“Mixing up elements of rock, pop, blues, jazz, soul and funk, each song finds its way into a supple groove and just bounces around there as though Amadou’s guitar strings and Mariam’s vocal chords were made of musical elastic.” ***** – The Telegraph
Alongside the duo, DaDaFest are excited to welcome a number of support acts to perform at their show.
Anwar Ali will perform alongside Dave Owen, the duo have been performing for four years after meeting at a charity gig in Liverpool where Dave became fascinated with Anwar’s instrument of choice – the Oud.
Anwar, originally from the Bajuni islands off the coast of Somalia, is influenced by a wide variety of styles, including traditional Swahili wedding songs and Norwegian Folk. Blending their acoustic guitar and Oud, Anwar and Dave produce life-affirming music that is full of passion.
The “Evolve” group from the Young DaDa Ensemble will also be performing. Young DaDa Ensemble is a project delivered alongside Drake Music, Live Music Now and Resonate Music Hub, with support from Youth Music that provides accessible music based activities for young disabled people across Merseyside. Two groups work with professional artists to develop musical skills and create original songs that culminate in live performances.
The event will also feature Radio Exotica, a group of two DJs with a particular interest in exploring and showcasing music from around the world. In 2016, the duo have performed at Glastonbury, Africa Oyé, Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival and much more.
Delving deep into their record boxes to unearth hidden gems from distant lands, Radio Exotica will take you on a musical journey from the streets of Soweto to the sands of Sudan, when they support Amadou and Mariam.
Ruth Gould, DaDaFest’s Artistic Director said: “We are thrilled to welcome Amadou and Mariam. Their work and presence will make this year’s festival one to remember!”
Michael Eakin, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall’s Chief Executive said: “We are delighted to be hosting a major DaDaFest International concert again. Following the superb Staff Benda Billili in 2014, the brilliant Amadou and Mariam will be one of the highlights of our programme in 2016. The fact that DaDaFest International is bringing artists of this calibre to the city is a testament to the importance of the festival. We are looking forward to a memorable night.”
Amadou and Mariam said: “We are really excited and cannot wait to be returning to the UK in December to perform at DaDaFest!“
Saturday 3 December 2016 (7:30pm)
Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Tickets: £28.50* – £19.50 (*boxes)
Support Acts: Anwar Ali, Young DaDa Ensemble Evolve & Radio Exotica
Running time: 90 minute set plus interval
Access: British Sign Language Interpretation
Book online: liverpoolphil.com/whats-on/amadou-and-mariam
Telephone: 0151 709 3789 or visit the Box Office.