YAYA DIALLO, master drummer and musician was born in Fienso, a small village in the West African country of Mali. He learned to be a drummer partly because drums were such an important part of his daily life but also because his grandfather was a drummer and he grew up knowing how critical it was to keep the skills and traditions of drumming alive in his community.

Yaya came to Canada in 1967 to study chemistry and has been here ever since. Although he did work for a time as a chemist, more and more he realized that music was his real interest. Now a full-time musician, he gives solo performances, leads Kanza, a band that includes contemporary western instruments as well as traditional African ones. He teaches and performs all over the world and has a particular interest in working with young people. He has released a record and a C.D., written a book called The Healing Drum, organized important musical events, and has been a catalyst for other musicians trying to find a place in the modern world for a variety of traditional music. As well, he is a storyteller who has collected a treasure-trove of traditional stories from his region of Mali.

Workshop

Yaya plays three kinds of African instruments:

DJEME - a long, tall hand beaten drum that is strapped around the waist when played.

TALKING DRUM - a small hour glass shaped drum that is beaten with a stick and changes sound according to the pressure placed on strings linking one end of the drum to the other.

BALAFON - an instrument like a xylophone made of gourds and wood.

As well as sharing his musical knowledge and expertise through his instruments, Yaya will also bring the stories of his life: the old ones from Mali, and the new ones of his time in Montreal.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

For performances Yaya needs one voice microphone, a small table for the Balafon and a jug of water.