Through Visiting Artist Residencies, the BU Office for the Arts welcomes artists from across creative disciplines to campus for immersive, short-term engagements. These interdisciplinary residencies bring together students, faculty, and departments to explore connections between art and other disciplines, encouraging dialogue across fields of study. Students, faculty, and the public are invited to participate in workshops, conversations, and events that highlight the role of art within and beyond the classroom.

Alune Wade

Senegalese bassist and composer, Alune Wade, will be visiting Boston University this fall for a one-day residency on Wednesday, October 14th, 2026. This residency is co-sponsored by the BU History of Art & Architecture and BU Office for the Arts.

Events

Class Visit & Discussion

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | 1:25-2:15 PM
CAS B12, 725 Commonwealth Ave.

Join Alune Wade and Rachel Breunlin from the Neighborhood Story Project for a discussion of the 2025 Africa New Orleans Collaboration and their award-winning film Tukki, which follows Alune Wade as he traces the deep connections between West African musical traditions and American Jazz. Presented with the course AA/AH 114 “Kongo to Cuba”.

 

Alune Wade in Concert: A Family Affair

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Crystal Ballroom, Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square

Senegalese bassist and composer Alune Wade returns with Family Affair, a joyful family reunion across the Atlantic celebrating the deep musical ties between West Africa and Louisiana. Bringing together an extraordinary ensemble of musicians from both sides of the Atlantic, Wade blends Afrobeat and juju grooves with the bold brass traditions and jazz rhythms of Louisiana. The result is a vibrant musical conversation where history, culture, and irresistible groove come together in an unforgettable experience.
REGISTER

 

Artist Bio

Alune Wade was personally selected by Marcus Miller in 2015 to contribute to Miller’s album “Afrodeezia” – a testament to his exceptional talent. However, Wade’s path to success began earlier when he was discovered by Ismaël Lô at the age of 18. Since then, he has collaborated with an impressive array of contemporary music legends and performed alongside artists such as Salif Keita, Oumou Sangaré, Bobby McFerrin, Joe Zawinul, Fatoumata Diawara, Paco Sery, Bela Fleck, Cheick Tidiane Seck, Deep Forest, and Gregory Porter. Apart from his distinctive and vibrant electric bass playing, it is his voice that, much like the West African griots, tells stories with deep emotion and touching falsetto/tonality.

Onstage, Alune exudes a calm authority and intense power, creating a unique jazz experience with a sophisticated urban flair. Inspired by the bustling metropolises of Paris, New York, and Dakar, he truly embodies cosmopolitan music. As a remarkable figure in today’s jazz and Afrobeat scene, Alune Wade presents his eclectic and highly creative compositions, captivating audiences on significant stages worldwide.

Alune Wade is both rooted in tradition and experimental in his approach: African rhythms serve as the foundation of his compositions, around which he masterfully and effortlessly arranges various genres that seamlessly blend into one cohesive whole. For him, the electric and double bass are natural extensions of his African roots, offering fantastic rhythmic possibilities across different genres, from classical music to jazz and global music. His masterfully played bass serves as the backbone, creating a valuable link between rhythm and harmony, infusing new vitality into the African jazz scene.

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.”

 

Past Artist Residencies

The following residencies have been produced since the founding of the BU Office for the Arts in 2012!

Other visiting artists sponsored by BU Office for the Arts

The Crossroads Project, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Maya Lin, Sonia Sanchez, Stephen Schwartz, Deborah Lipstadt, Gerald Vizenor, Alysia Harris, Stacey Tyrell, and Martha Graham Cracker.