Amadou & Mariam was a musical duo from Mali, composed of the couple Mariam … Read Full Bio ↴Amadou & Mariam was a musical duo from Mali, composed of the couple Mariam Doumbia (vocals) (born in Mali's capital Bamako 15 April 1958) and Amadou Bagayoko (guitar and vocals) (born in Bamako 24 October 1954; died 4 April 2025). The pair, known as "the blind couple from Mali" met at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind, and found they shared an interest in music.

The duo produced music that mixed traditional Mali sound with rock guitars, Syrian violins, Cuban trumpets, Egyptian ney, Colombian trombones, Indian tablas and Dogon percussion. All these elements put together have been referred to as "Afro-blues".

In 2004 they put out an acclaimed album produced by Manu Chao.

In 2006 they were acknowledged with BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in the two categories: Africa and Album of the Year (for the "Dimanche à Bamako" release).

In 2008 they released their 6th album Welcome To Mali with the participation of K'Naan, Keziah Jones, -M- and Damon Albarn. Their song "Sabali" was placed 15 on Pitchfork Media's Top 100 Best Tracks of 2008.

The duo won the Best Group category in the inaugural Songlines Music Awards (2009) – announced 1 May 2009 – the new world music awards organised by the UK-based magazine, Songlines.

Their eighth album Folila was released on 2 April 2012. Folila, which means "music" in Bambara, was recorded in Bamako and New York with special guests including Santigold, TV on the Radio, and Jake Shears.

On 22 September 2017 they released their album La Confusion.

www.amadou-mariam.com

Taxi Bamako
Amadou & Mariam Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Taxi Bamako
Où tu veux , je t'emmène
Taxi Bamako
Tu m'appelles je suis là
Taxi Bamako
Je suis le plus rapide
Taxi Bamako
Tu es ma seule cliente

Tu t'assois, je conduis
On traverse le pont
Je fais ma course au ciel

J'évite tous les
trafics, les problèmes
mécaniques...
Je suis le plus rapide
On traverse le pont...

Je fais ma course au ciel
Tu t'assois, je conduis...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Amadou & Mariam's song "Taxi Bamako" convey the idea of a taxi driver who is dedicated to transporting and satisfying his one and only client in Bamako, the capital city of Mali. The driver, through a combination of skill and speed, can navigate through thick traffic, avoid mechanical problems and deliver his client to her destination quickly, safely and seamlessly. By using the taxi driver as a metaphor, the song reveals the hardships encountered by many African commuters in their everyday lives, as they travel through congested routes to work, school and other destinations.

The repeated use of the phrase "Je fais ma course au ciel" (I make my way to the sky) towards the end of the song gives us a sense of the driver's determination to go beyond the physical and transport his passenger to the place of their dreams- a place that exists beyond the present and the mundane. By singing about the taxi driver’s ability to transcend his immediate environment, the song evokes a sense of hope for all those who seek to transcend the barriers that confine them.

Line by Line Meaning

Taxi Bamako
Amadou and Mariam's song about a taxi that operates in Bamako, the capital city of Mali.

Où tu veux , je t'emmène
The taxi driver will take the passenger wherever they want to go.

Tu m'appelles je suis là
The taxi driver is always available if the passenger calls.

Je suis le plus rapide
The taxi driver claims to be the fastest in the city.

Tu es ma seule cliente
The singer is addressing a female passenger and she is his only customer at the moment.

Tu t'assois, je conduis
The passenger should sit down and relax while the taxi driver takes them to their destination.

On traverse le pont
The taxi is crossing a bridge in the city.

Je fais ma course au ciel
The driver is confident and aspires to succeed in his profession.

J'évite tous les trafics, les problèmes mécaniques...
The driver is very efficient and avoids all kinds of traffic and mechanical issues.

Contributed by Ruby N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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