A FLYafrica tribute to Tony Allen

FLYafricatribute Touching Africa, Touching The World!

Tony Allen

FLYafricatribute Tony Allen

A tribute to the drummer who put the beat in Afrobeat

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A special tribute to Tony Allen

West Africa has been paying tribute to drummer Tony Allen, who died in Paris on 30 April. The Nigerian was considered by many – among them legendary producer and musician Brian Eno and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea – to be the finest drummer the world has ever seen. His fluid, polyrhythmic style behind the kit put the beat in Afrobeat as an integral part of Fela Kuti’s band Africa ‘70 and he went on to find fame – and a host of A-list collaborators – around the world. Here Nigerian music lover Chidozie Uzoezie explores Allen’s indelible musical legacy.

W

hen, in 1964, Fela

name in 2008, described him as

Anikulapo Kuti invited

“one of the greatest drummers to

a young Tony Oladipo

ever walk this earth”. Also involved

Allen to his home studio Kalakuta

in that album was Ghanaian rapper

Republic in Lagos to audition for

M.anifest, who said Allen “put the

his new Koola Lobitos jazz-highlife

beat in afrobeat” and lived a “quietly

band, not many people, includ-

epic” life. Even Fela Kuti, who was

ing Fela himself, envisaged how

not often given to praising others,

revolutionary a moment it would

said “without Tony Allen, there would

turn out to be. Although only 24 at

be no Afrobeat”.

the time, Tony Allen, who was born in Lagos of mixed Nigerian and

Afrobeat sound

Ghanaian parentage, was already

Between 1968 and 1979, the Fela-

a determined young man who had

Allen combo proved to be a highly

developed a unique drumming style

prolific and sought-after team. The

that drew on jazz, highlife, funk and

duo invented and popularised the

traditional African drumming.

original Afrobeat sound in the 70s

Needless to say, Allen got the

with the Africa ’70 band, combining

Koola Lobitos job and a long, frac-

elements of West Africa’s fuji music

tious and yet rewarding musical

styles and highlife with American

relationship with Fela began. After

funk and jazz. They regularly

co-creating Afrobeat, Allen contin-

engaged in marathon sessions of

ued to push the boundaries of his

electrifyingly entertainment at

music – incorporating elements of

Kalakuta Republic. “We’d play six

dub, electronica, jazz and dance –

hours a night, four days of the week,

until his death aged 79.

that’s what the people wanted,”

Deeply touching tributes have

KEEPING THE BEAT At the Rock Werchter Festival, Belgium, 2019 Ben Houdijk / Shutterstock.com

Allen said in 2016. While Fela was the

been pouring in since. Flea, the

team leader, Allen was the musical

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, who

director. Their decade-old synergy

worked with Allen in the supergroup

produced over 30 albums, includ-

Rocket Juice and the Moon, which

ing the classics ‘Gentleman’ and

released an album of the same

‘Zombie’.

flyAfricaWorld.com

FLYafricatribute Tony Allen is our very own living legend worthy of celebration. His impact on Afrobeat, jazz and world music is undeniable

Recounting how he and Fela composed music in the 70s, Allen said: “Fela used to write out the parts for all the musicians in the Africa ‘70 Band. I was the only one who originated the music I played.”

Though there was mutual musical respect between them, Fela and Allen’s relationship was often fiery. and unnecessarily provocative in his criticism of the ruling military government’s corruption which led to too many arrests and even physical assaults by soldiers. Eventually, disagreements over royalties

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Allen thought Fela was too direct

coupled with the incessant arrests caused Allen to part ways. His last

When it came to music, Tony

performance with the Africa ‘70

Allen didn’t follow the rules, he broke

band was at the Berlin Jazz Festival

them to the absolute admiration

in 1979.

of his audience. From the usual and the expected, the Afrobeat

Experiments

pioneer often transcended to an

Allen became even more experi-

extraordinary realm, mesmerising

mental in his music, adding elements

his audience. No wonder he was

of pop, jazz, folk, soul, makossa,

once described by English musician

hip-hop, highlife, R&B, dub, and rap

and record producer Brian Eno as

to form a hybrid he called Afrofunk.

“perhaps the greatest drummer who

Whatever the genre, Allen’s drum-

has ever lived”.

able. Fela once said that he needed

were regarded as occupying the

four different drummers to fill the

bottom rung on the musical ladder,

ON STAGE At the Tsaritsyno Park XII International Jazz Festival

gap Allen left behind in his band and

but Allen came to the scene and

Anton Gvozdikov / Shutterstock.com

his fluid, hypnotic style can kid the

changed the narrative. He brought

ming style was instantly recognis-

In the African culture, drummers

prestige, dignity and professionalism to drumming. He gave the drum a voice.

Despite his achievements, Allen didn’t think he was entitled to

listener that there are more musi-

everyone’s’ respect and reverence.

cians involved.

To those who worked with him he was a warm and down to earth pres-

ment, Allen actually came late to the

ence, always keen to hear their ideas

drums. He taught himself how to play at the age of 18, inspired then

by American jazz drummers such as Art Blakey and Max Roach. He brought these complex jazz rhythms to Afrobeat and, in the words of Béninoise singer Angelique Kidjo, who featured him on two of her albums, “Allen changed the history of African music

Tore Setre | Wikimedia Commons | CC-BY-SA-4.0

For all his mastery of the instru-

and to collaborate. Bumi Thomas, a British-Nigerian jazz-folk-soul singer and guitarist, described him as “remarkable with a distinctive cool and timeless temperament”.

Allen’s musical style was similarly unassuming. In 2016, he said: “I know I can make my drums bring the house down if I have to. But I know how to make it subtle. You listen to it

TEAM Angelique Kidjo with Tony Allen

Damon Albarn. The multi-instru-

Image: Angelique Kidjo

an Allen aficionado when in the

mentalist first signalled himself as band Blur with single ‘Music Is My Radar’, which includes the line “Tony Allen got me dancing.” It sparked a friendship and a series of musical collaborations – including the Africa Express Project and supergroup The Good, the Bad and the Queen – that

flowing like a river.”

which is dominating the current

continued until Allen’s death. In fact,

global pop scene and led by Nigerian

this month Albarn released a tribute

ential or commercially successful as

artists such as Wizkid, Davido and

single How Far?’ by his hip-hop band

his compatriot Fela, but he remains

Burna Boy. Without a doubt, Tony

alter ego Gorillaz, which features

one of Nigeria’s greatest musical

Allen meant and still means a lot to

some of Allen’s last recorded drum-

exports. With 40 albums as a solo

Nigerians. In 2019, he was honoured

ming work.

artist, including collaborations with

in Lagos with a tribute concert.

hundreds of notable international

According to Ayoola Sadare, the

acts, Allen quietly put Nigeria and

CEO of Inspiro Productions, which

Africa on the global music map.

helped put the concert together:

Allen was not as politically influ-

He was keen to showcase Nigerian

DRUM MASTER Tony Allen facebook.com/ TonyAllen

Charlotte Gainsbourg and French trio The JazzBastards.

But with a total of 77 albums to

talent – both established and

legend worthy of celebration. His

his name, Tony Allen can be said to

upcoming – which he did on 2006

impact on Afrobeat, jazz and world

have lived a fulfilled life. However, in

album ‘Lagos No Shaking’ and at

music is undeniable.”

addition to leaving nostalgic memo-

the time of his death he was making

ries behind, he also left big shoes.

plans to record with young musicians

INFLUENTIAL

in Nigeria, Paris, London and the US.

Allen has influenced and inspired

await the emergence of his true

His Afrobeat sound is also hugely

a range of artists across different

replacement, the world will continue

genres, including English musician

to miss him and his ingenuity.

influential on the Afropop genre,

“Tony Allen is our very own living

Other international collaborations included work with Grace Jones,

Indeed, while Africa and Nigeria

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