Tony Allen (musician)
Tony Oladipo Allen ( born August 12, 1940 in Lagos) is a Nigerian drummer, composer and songwriter. As drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti's band "Africa '70 " in the years 1968 to 1979, he is now regarded as one of the founders of Afrobeat. Kuti stated: "Without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat. "
Early career
At the age of 18 years, Allen began teaching himself to play drums while he works as an engineer for a Nigerian radio station. Allen was influenced by the musical tastes of his father ( Juju, traditional Yoruba music and the Ibo Ceremonial ), but also by the American jazz and of the growing highlife scene in Nigeria and Ghana. He worked hard to develop a unique sound of the drums by studying records and newspaper articles by Max Roach and Art Blakey, but also material of the Ghanaian drummer Guy Warren (now Kofi Ghanaba ), who developed a specially whining sound and to the drums Ghanaian strains with combined Bop, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Max Roach were the starting material for him.
Allen was hired by 'Sir' Victor Olaiya for his highlife band " Cool Cats" as Claves player. As the former drummer of the band left this, Allen filled the gap created on drums. Later, Allen played with Agu Norris and the Heatwaves, the Nigerian Messengers and the Melody Makers.
Fela and Africa '70
1964 Allen of Fela Ransome Kuti, who wanted to found a Highlife Jazz Band, invited to audition. Kuti and Allen had already played together in the backing band of the Circus of Lagos. Kuti was impressed by Allen's style of play: "How can it be that you're the only guy in Nigeria who can so play - jazz and highlife in one? " So joined Allen cutis Highlife Jazz Band " Koola Lobitos ".
Developed in 1969 Fela Kuti with the renamed just in Africa '70 band for a U.S. tour a new variant of African music, in which the intoxicating rhythm of James Brown with jazz, highlife and the polyphonic drums of the Yoruba ceremonies were combined. Allen developed for Fela's new African rhythms provide a new style that combined the different genres.
Allen talks about how he wrote in 1970 songs with Fela Kuti: " Fela normally composed the parts for all the musicians of the band ( Africa '70 ). I was the only one who could influence his music. Fela kept asking me what rhythm type I wanted to play ... You have to discuss this with a good drummer because we ... were four of us ... and they ... have several things played ... not only set pieces of Yoruba ... [ also ] from other regions of Nigeria and Africa. " ( Graeme Ewens ," Africa O- Ye! ", 1991)
Allen took with Fela Kuti and Africa '70 on more than 30 albums, which can be counted among the best of Fela Kuti well. In the late 1970s, there were several differences in the ranks of Africa '70, among others, were royalties and other payments a reason for disputes, on the other hand got the band more attention than before. As the inventor of the Afrobeat underpinning rhythms and musical director of Africa '70 Allen felt disadvantaged. Fela Kuti claimed and declared that Allen could demand the royalties of his own songs, but not of songs that originated in Africa '70 in collaborative work. As a result, Fela Kuti Allen supported at three solo albums: Jealousy ( 1975), Progress (1977 ) and No Accomodation For Lagos ( 1979). In 1979, Allen was struggling with some other band members through to leave Africa '70. " What brings him to the decision that it is time to go? It is ... everything ... and (his ) ruthlessness ... as he does not care how he does not know it ... like he does not feel that it all ( wrong) has made. And with all the parasites around it, it was just ... it was up to now 71 people on tour and just 30 of them have worked directly with the band ... you have to ask yourself why. These people deprived Fela his strength, his music. " Allen went on alone, still in search of his own sound worlds.
From Afrobeat to Afrofunk
Allen formed his own band, took on her 1980 No Discrimination and played with her in Lagos until 1984 he emigrated to London. After he was then moved to Paris, Allen played with King Sunny Adé, Ray Lema and Manu Dibango. In 1985, he took " N.E.P.A. " on.
After the collaboration with Fela Kuti Allen developed a multi-layered sound that exploded the Afrobeat and combined with electronica, dub and hip hop. Allen called this fusion of music styles as "Afro Funk".
His 13 independently produced album, which was released on 13 June 2006, was a return to Allen's roots. It symbolizes Allen's return to Afrobeat by avant-garde excursions into the worlds of electronica and is a live recording from Lagos from complete Afrobeat band " Lagos No Shaking " (Lagos is OK ).
Brian Eno described Tony Allen as " perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived."
In 2006, he played drums with Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon and Simon Tong is a the debut album by the band The Good, the Bad & the Queen. Along with Damon Albarn, the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Michael Balzary and various guest musicians, he published in 2012 as " Rocket Juice & The Moon" an eponymous album.
Trivia
- The Blur single Music Is My Radar contains a tribute to Tony Allen. According to Damon Albarn the song ends with the line: ". Tony Allen got me dancing" (Tony Allen got me dancing. )