Youth volunteers meet megastars of Malian music Amadou & Mariam

11 July 2011

It's not everyday that superstars of world music are on your doorstep.

We took four youth volunteers to meet musicians Amadou and Mariam as they prepared to perform their new show, Eclipse, at this year's Manchester International Festival. 

Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia have both been blind from a young age. In the course of their 30 year career, they have collaborated with the likes of Damon Albarn and Manu Chao, and are ambassadors for the UN Food Programme.

Sophie, Shawana, Alice and Claire - who will be volunteering with us for 12 weeks in Mali as part of the International Citizen Service programme - got their first taste of Malian culture from two of its most famous ambassadors.

Our volunteers spent over half an hour talking to the musicians about life in Mali, issues of poverty and disability, Malian culture, and their music.

Sophie, who will lead a team of four volunteers working a project to support hearing-impaired children, said:

    "It was an honour to meet two such huge stars. Even more so,     two stars who have used their music and high profile to raise     awareness of global issues such as poverty, hunger and disability.     It was inspiring to hear what they had to say about Mali, and I     can't wait to get out there to experience a new culture and to     begin working on the project."