BIOGRAPHY

In 2010, there was the release of Immé, much praised by media and fans of West African music alike. But well before that, towards the end of the 1980s, Diallo was discovered by Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records, and it was also around that time that the singer-songwriter and guitarist began devoting himself to his muse.  A rare bird, this Canadian-Guinean artist has spread his wings and songs over three continents – a lucky number for this three-time Juno award winner! A nomadic Fulani singer, his melodies are pearls of the imperial Malinke and Susu cultures, timeless and eternally revisited, a perpetual celebration of this heritage.

The spellbinding musician, an adept of both acoustic and electric guitar, sings in Fulani, Susu, French and English. Diallo poetically forged his own path alongside his brothers in music, from Baaba Maal to Salif Keita. His style is like a vital transfusion of rhythms and melodic lines. Senegalese dance-inducing mbalax with a breath of Cap Verde and Caribbean influences infiltrate his exquisite arrangements, taking us on a journey free of borders. Whether playing solo or as an accompanist, his versatility and potency are always on display.  Deeply committed to social issues, Alpha Yaya Diallo has used his talents to raise awareness around issues of famine, Africa’s debt burden and the ravages of HIV/AIDS. His mesmerizing riffs are always in tune with his social conscience.