Alune Wade

Born in June 1978 in Dakar, Senegal, Alune Wade was exposed to classical music by his father, the conductor of a symphony orchestra. At the age of 13, Alune began playing bass in local bands in Dakar, and he made his first recordings at the age of 15 in a friend's music studio. Three years later, Alune Wade auditioned for Ismaël Lô, one of the most respected musicians on the African continent, and remained with Lô for eight years. 

Alune Wade's versatile and deeply rooted bass playing style has established him as a virtuoso in the African jazz scene. One of the masters who discovered Wade's talent was the late Joe Zawinul, who invited him to be part of the legendary Zawinul Syndicate. Since then, Alune Wade has served as a bassist for diverse artists like Henri Dikongué, Paco Sery, and Mokhtar Samba, to name just a few. 

Alune Wade released his first solo album in 2006 titled "Mbolo," which means "Unity" in Wolof. It presents a blend of rhythms rooted in Africa and influenced by jazz and contemporary music from around the world. He further explored these influences on his 2010 album "Ayo Nene." 

In 2015, Alune Wade collaborated with Cuban pianist Harold López-Nussa to create the work "Havana-Paris-Dakar" (World Village), which serves as a bridge between the home countries of these two artists. In the same year, Alune also participated in the album "Afrodeezia" with Marcus Miller.

Further albums and collaborations followed, making Alune Wade one of the most significant figures in African jazz.

On his fourth album "African Fast Food" (Sony Music/Cristal records 2018), he delved deeply into the profound connection between African rhythms and other global influences, all the while exploring jazz and its boundless interpretive possibilities. This elegant and captivating album delights with extremely groovy basslines, fantastic melodies, a warm sonic backdrop, cool vocal performances, and funky beats that make it hard to sit still. A blend of Afrobeat and Afro-Jazz, sounding as urban as can be, it brings together some of the greatest musicians from Paris, New York, Havana, and Dakar.

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Sultan" (Enja & Yellow Bird, 2022) marks his fifth musical creation. This album embodies multiculturalism and blends unique rhythms with the facets of Afrobeat, the melodic Maqams of Arabic music, and the heartfelt essence of jazz. The tracks take listeners on a fascinating journey from Djerba to Istanbul, from Dakar to Bangladesh, and from Kairouan to the Kingdom of Sheba.

In doing so, they explore Arab, Andalusian, and Berber influences as well as Western scales and Eastern Maqâms. The Downbeat magazine placed "Sultan" among the top 50 albums of the year 2022.