Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer and masterful drummer Tony Allen died in Paris on Thursday, April 30, 2020 of a heart attack. He was 79.
Tony Allen was one of the founders of the Afrobeat musical genre, along with Fela Kuti. Allen was the drum player, musical director and essential collaborator of Fela Kuti’s celebrated band Africa ’70 in the 1960-70s. Afrobeat was a revolutionary musical style in which Yoruba rhythms, instrumental funk, and sociopolitical criticism and sarcasm were combined.
Allen was involved in numerous solo projects and world music and jazz collaborations. World Circuit Records recently released Rejoice, a partnership between Allen and Hugh Masekela, the trumpet maestro of South African jazz. It’s the first posthumous release from Masekela, who passed away in 2018.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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