Rock Out with Your Sock Out: Amadou and Mariam

Incredible stories come from incredible strife. Growing up blind in Africa seems like a hopeless situation that can only end in peril, but for one  blind African couple, there has been success and joyous life. Their mesmerizing story of music and hope is today’s hot music injection.

I am speaking of Amadou and Mariam. A blind couple from Mali, Africa, this duo became famous in 2006 for writing the official anthem for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, “Celebrate the Day”, which topped the charts in Germany. You can watch the theme video here.

Having not released an album in 3 years and still largely unknown on this side of the Atlantic, Amadou and Mariam are poised to become big names here as well, as they have been invited to perform at Barack Obama‘s inauguration on January 20th.

The recent album is called “Welcome to Mali” and was released on November 17, 2008.

Their dramatic and worldly music is only passed in passion, by their story of bonded struggle and rise to the top. Very few bands, if any, have had the potential to unite nations as this blind duo from Africa does.