Amadou Bagayoko, the Malian guitarist and singer from the Grammy-nominated duo Amadou & Mariam, has died at age 70 after a period of illness, his family confirmed. 

Alongside his wife and musical partner Mariam Doumbia, Amadou became globally renowned for blending traditional Malian sounds with rock and blues, selling millions of records.

"He had been ill for a while," Amadou's son-in-law Youssouf Fadiga stated.

The blind couple met in 1976 at a school for the visually impaired in Bamako and began performing together in the 1980s. Their 2004 album "Dimanche à Bamako" gained international acclaim. They composed the 2006 World Cup's official song and performed at the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony.

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Over their decades-long career, they collaborated with artistes like David Gilmour and Damon Albarn, performed at major festivals like Glastonbury, and even played for Barack Obama at his Nobel Peace Prize concert.

Amadou is survived by his wife Mariam and their three children.