Like their compatriots Ali Farka Toure and Oumou Sangare, Amadou et Mariam combine bluesy guitar virtuosity with lyrics that make you smile and attempt to sing along, even if you don't actually speak French or Bambara. The story goes that Amadou and Mariam met at a school for the blind, fell in love against their families' wishes, started a band...the stuff of fairy tales. "Je Pense a Toi," the first track, would be the soundtrack to that fairy tale. ('Others might offer you the moon, but all I have is my poor guitar'...)

Judith Zissman