767522782622
767522782714

Sultan

Alune Wade

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Format: CD

Cat No: YEB7826

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

      Disc 1

      Side 1

      • 1. Saba's Journey
      • 2. Donso
      • 3. Sultan
      • 4. Nasty Sand
      • 5. Uthopic
      • 6. Portrait De Maure
      • 7. Djolof Blues
      • 8. Dalaka
      • 9. L'ombre De L'ame
      • 10. Lullaby For Sultan
      • 11. Celebration
      • 12. Café Oran

    Tracklisting

      Disc 1

      Side 1

      • 1. Djolof Blues
      • 2. Uthopic
      • 3. Sultan
      • 4. Lullaby for Sultan

      Side 2

      • 1. Mandinka JuJu
      • 2. Donso
      • 3. Nasty Sand
      • 4. Saba's Journey