Nigerian Afrobeat legend Tony Allen, 79, dies in Paris
Tony Allen, the co-founder of musical genre afrobeat along with former bandmate Fela Kuti, died in Paris on Thursday night of unknown causes, according to his manager. He was 79.
Issued on: Modified:
“He was in great shape, it was quite sudden. I spoke to him at 1:00 pm, then two hours later he was sick and taken to Pompidou hospital where he died,” he manager Eric Trosset told Agence France Presse. He said that his death was not linked to Covid-19.
Allen collaborated in the 1960s and 70s as drummer and musical director of Kuti’s band Africa ’70. They worked on 40 albums together, for a total of 26 years. Kuti had to get four drummers to replace the void Allen left when he quit the collaboration.
The two musicians created and defined afrobeat, which melds West African music, including highlife and fuji genres with American jazz and funk.
Listen to Tony Allen reflecting on his career on World Music Matters
The iconic drum beat provided the basis for Fela to lay down his philosophy of revolution and pan-Africanism, creating a place in the struggle for independence and freedom on the continent.
Considered a ‘drummer’s drummer’, Allen was revered for his craft the world over. His skills, honed from the age of 18, inspired a generation of musicians.
“The epic Tony Allen, one of the greatest drummers to ever walk this earth has left us,” wrote Flea, the bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on social media. “What a wildman, with a massive, kind and free heart and the deepest one-of-a-kind groove…He was and still is, my hero,” he added.
View this post on Instagram
The epic Tony Allen, one of the greatest drummers to ever walk this earth has left us. What a wildman, with a massive, kind and free heart and the deepest one-of-a-kind groove. Fela Kuti did not invent afrobeat, Fela and Tony birthed it together. Without Tony Allen there is NO afrobeat. I was lucky enough to spend many an hour with him, holed up in a London studio, jamming the days away. It was fucking heavenly. He was and still is, my hero. I wanted to honor his greatness so much when we played together, and I was nervous when we started, but he made me laugh like a two year old, and we fell right into pocket. I lit up like a Christmas tree every time I knew we were about to lay down some rhythm. With Tony’s longtime musical collaborator, friend and champion, Damon Albarn, we jammed til the cows came home. We partied in Nigeria, we partied around Europe, and it was always about the music. Just grooving high, grooving deep. Tony Allen I love you, I’m so grateful to have had the chance to rock with you. God bless your beautiful soul.
Throughout his career, Allen played with a number of top musicians, drumming for supergroup The Good, the Bad & the Queen, which included Blur singer Damon Albarn and The Clash bassist Paul Simonon.
Crédito: Link de origem
- Advertisement -
Comentários estão fechados.