The overall air of joyousness in Amadou & Mariam's music is even more amazing when put in the context of the lives they've led. Over 2+ decades before the release of 2004’s Dimanche à Bamako, Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia met at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind. Here, Bagayoko, who'd lost his vision at 16, and Doumbia, who'd lost hers at 5, found a shared love for music.

Tuaregs represent a small percentage of the Malian population, which is mostly of sub-Saharan ancestry. The music of these peoples bears a striking resemblance not only to Tuareg music, but also to music from the rest of West Africa. This piece is about Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté.