Diallo was born to a nomadic Peul father and a Minianka (Bamana) mother, and was raised within a culture in which the drum plays a major social and spiritual role. An instrument for transmitting traditional knowledge among the Minianka, the drum is the focal point of Diallo's life story and his link, through the universal medium of music, with the Western world.

Diallo's educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the Université de Montréal and training in a variety of African instruments: Minianka tam-tam (talking drum), Senufo balafon (xylophone), Mandingo tama, or talking drum, and the Afro-Cuban congas. His 1980 debut album Nangape, an instrumental album of African drumming, balafon and flute music, brought recognition to his profound knowledge of traditional African healing arts. He has performed throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. He is the co-author of The Healing Drum: African Wisdom and Teaching, and has released a CD by the same name, as well as several other CDs.