Alpha Yaya Diallo

About

The artist

Alpha Yaya Diallo is a Guinean Canadian guitarist, singer, songwriter, percussionist, and bandleader based in Burnaby, British Columbia. Raised across regions of Guinea, he absorbed Fulani, Susu, Mandinka, Senegalese, Cape Verdean, and Caribbean musical traditions before leading university and professional bands in West Africa. He later joined Fatala, a group connected with Peter Gabriel's Real World label, and settled in British Columbia in 1991. Diallo formed Baffing and developed a solo catalog centred on electric and acoustic guitar, balafon, djembe, and songs in French, English, and several West African languages. The Message and The Journey won Juno Awards, and his work with African Guitar Summit earned another shared Juno. His 2023 album DOYE DOYE continues his blend of Guinean roots, contemporary jazz, and global popular music. A 2022 interview conducted from his Burnaby home and current Canadian music profiles support his active British Columbia base.