Artist Profiles: Yaya Diallo

Yaya Diallo is a traditional musician from Mali, West Africa. He is also a music and dance instructor, author, and workshop leader.

His 1980 album Nagapè is a classic instrumental album of African drumming, bala and flute music. Following graduation from the University of Montreal and a brief career as a chemist, Yaya Diallo was co-founder of the music and dance group Djembe-Kan and a member of the African Troubadours with the World Music Institute as well as a faculty member of the Creative Music Studio and the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies of New York.

Yaya Diallo is active with his band Kanza and continues to teach and perform internationally. Onzou Record reissued Nagapè in 2002. This marked a fresh collaboration between Onzou Records and Yaya Diallo to produce more CDs and create traditional African healing centers.

In addition to recording several albums, Yaya Diallo also published a journal, At the Threshold of the African Soul: The Fulani-Minianka Way (1985, reprint 2001) and a book, The Healing Drum: African Wisdom Teachings (1998).

Discography:

Nagapè (1980), reissued by Onzou Records in 2003
The Healing Drum: African Ceremonial and Ritual Music (Destiny Recordings, 1994) –
Dounoukan (Yaya Diallo, 1995)
Dombaa Fole: Medicine Music of Mali (Relaxation Company, 1998)
Live at Club Soda (Onzou Records, 2003)

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.