Staff Editor on June 18th, 2018

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Legendary Afro-blues duo Amadou & Mariam gave a joyous performance at El Rey Theatre on Thursday, touring behind their new album, “La Confusion.” A little backstory: Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia both met at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind, performing in the Eclipse Orchestra, married in 1980 and began recording music together in 1983. After a string of tapes, they left Africa in the 1990s and have released nine full-length records since, the latest released on Because Music. The El Rey audience danced through the band’s entire set, unable to resist its fusion of Mali traditional sounds with rock guitar and an array of rhythmic and percussive elements drawn from the world over. The duo spoke to the audience in French, and while fans might not have understood exactly what was being said to them, the feelings of joy and love translated alongside a sense of hopeful optimism in these times of “la confusion.”

Set List: Ta Promesse, Batoma, C’est Chaud, Filaou Bessame, Femmes du Monde, Masiteladi, Dogon, Wily Kataso, Yiki Yassa, Enaramina, Bofou Safou, Africa, La Realite. Encore: Je Pense à Toi, Mokou Mokou, Beaux Dimanches

Photos by Ashly Covington