New Diallo CD moves mind and body - Vancouver Sun

Marke Andrews, Wednesday, November 28, 2001

The Journey (Jericho Beach Music/Festival)

Rating: 4

Vancouver-based Guinean guitarist-singer-percussionist-songwriter Alpha Yaya Diallo follows his successful The Message (1999) with The Journey, another textured recording performed with passion and great musicality.

Recorded in Vancouver (with one track, Mi Djedjima, recorded in Guinea), the disc moves along at a dancebeat clip, yet with enough going on that you listen while your body moves.

On Rene, Diallo plays acoustic and electric guitars, bass, doundoun and djembe, as well as singing the lead vocal, and each stringed and percussion instrument has its own character.

N'Dare builds on a repetitive vocal line, with Diallo's guitar ringing with the brilliance of wind chimes.

Guinean singer-guitarist Doura Barry joins Diallo for Mi Djedjima, which has outstanding wooden flute work from an unidentified musician.

Drummer Randall Stoll and bassist Brian Newcombe work well together on each track.
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