Tony Allen

drums · 1940–2020 · Lagos

Born in Lagos in 1940, Tony Allen was the drummer and musical director of Africa 70, Fela Kuti's band, from 1968 to 1979, and one of the founders of Afrobeat; Brian Eno called him "perhaps the greatest drummer who ever lived." In 2006 he joined Damon Albarn's The Good, the Bad & the Queen, and he died in Paris in 2020.

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Styles

• Afrobeat, makossa, highlife-jazz
• Fusion, jazz-rock, jazz-funk

Landmark tracks

• Jealousy (1975)

Cited in 2 radio episodes

• May 1, 2020: Hommage au pionnier Tony Allen (Émissions spéciales, TSF Jazz, in French)
• May 7, 2020: Spécial Tony Allen (Made in China, TSF Jazz, in French)

Sources

• Source

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