Release Date: 10 June 2022
Label: Yellowbird
Packaging Type: Digipak
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 767522782622
Genres: World Music Africa
Release Date: 14 April 2023
Label: Yellowbird
Packaging Type: Gate Fold Vinyl
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 767522782714
Genres: World Music Africa
Description
Few artists would dare to tackle quite such a kaleidoscope of music styles and accompanying socio-political issues in the space of 12 songs and 66 minutes, yet, in this fifth solo album in 15 years, Alune Wade achieves this with effortless mastery.
On this epic record, the 43-year-old journeyman is accompanied by his faithful band and a couple dozen guest stars who have been regular accomplices in the bass player's 37-year music career. This Dakarois musician began strumming guitar frets at six years old, egged on by an inspirational father who, at the time, was conducting Senegal's Symphonic Army Orchestra. Precociousness was Alune's middle name. Within years, he learnt scales for the piano, guitar and bass. Ismaël Lo's bass player, Samba Laobé N'Diaye, lent him his first bass guitar at five and, irony of sorts, he took over from N'Diaye's successor 12 years later.
In 1999, he began his recording career at the singer's side for Lo's seminal albums, first with Jiguen and, two years on, Dabakh. This was just one of a list of collaborations Alune Wade enjoyed over the decades. They read like a who's who from the worlds of jazz and crossover music: Joe Zawinul, Marcus Miller, Oumou Sangare, Bobby McFerrin, Youssou N'Dour, Cheick Tidiane Seck, Harold Lopez-Nussa, Lokua Kanza, Blick Bassy, Fatoumata Diawara... the list goes on.
His inspirations - Weather Report, Charlie Parker, Salif Keita, to name but a few - reflect musical choices he made. Many were distilled in explorations with the aptly named University of Gnawa, an 'institution' Alune co-founded with the mesmeric Aziz Sahmaoui - the virtuoso singer and sinter player, formerly of L'Orchestre National de Barbès, also makes an appearance in Sultan.
Description
On this epic record, the 43-year-old journeyman Alune Wade is accompanied by his faithful band and a couple dozen guest stars who have been regular accomplices in the bass player's 37-year music career.
This Dakarois musician began strumming guitar frets at six years old, egged on by an inspirational father who, at the time, was conducting Senegal's Symphonic Army Orchestra. Ismaël Lo's bass player, Samba Laobé N'Diaye, lent him his first bass guitar at five and, irony of sorts, he took over from N'Diaye's successor 12 years later. In 1999, he began his recording career at the singer's side for Lo's seminal albums, first with Jiguenand, two years on, Dabakh.
This was just one of a list of collaborations Alune Wade enjoyed over the decades. They read like a Who's Who from the worlds of jazz and crossover music: Joe Zawinul, Marcus Miller, Oumou Sangare, Bobby McFerrin, Youssou N'Dour, Cheick Tidiane Seck, Harold Lopez-Nussa, Lokua Kanza, Blick Bassy, Fatoumata Diawara... the list goes on.
And now to the present: "In 2018, I was fascinated by a potential meeting between the musics of East Africa - notably Ethiopia - and Egypt. My ensuing travels - and there were many - allowed me to meet artists from the diaspora that you find in New York and Paris. This dynamic melting pot was enriched by my passion for jazz, highlife and Afrobeat."
Tracklisting
Tracklisting
Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog
Oded Tzur
Samuel Blaser
Trio Elf
Jun Miyake
Ron Miles
Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog
JISR
Kanazoe, Clotilde Rullaud, Abdoulaye Traore, Boubacar Djiga & Achille Nacoulma
Osibisa
K.O.G
Seckou Keita
Vis-A-Vis
N'gola (Sao Tome)
Dobet Gnahore
Madala Kunene
