Farewell Tony Allen

Tony Allen died on Thursday (April 30) aged 79. The obituaries variously described him as the world's greatest drummer, Afrobeat pioneer, legendary drummer and Afrobeat co-founder; and Eno once described him as the greatest drummer who ever lived. It's said when he left Fela Kuti, it took four drummers to replace him. 

Having missed him on a bill with Salif Keita at Sage Gateshead a few years back due to work, I finally saw him as part of the Gateshead International Jazz Festival in 2018 where he played a tribute to Art Blakey who, alongside Max Roach, was one of his original drumming heroes.

In his last forty years he played with Roy Ayers, Archie Shepp, Ginger Baker, legendary Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin, fellow African legends King Sunny Ade, Hugh Masakela and recently deceased Manu Dibango, but in more recent times with Damon Albarn and Jarvis Cocker.

However, he will forever be associated with Afrobeat fellow creator Fela Kuti, with whom he played from 68 to 70 releasing over thirty albums. Never a modest man, Fela conceded that without Allen there'd have been no Afrobeat. 

Despite Kuti allowing him to release three solo albums, Allen left his domineering boss in 79, taking much of the band with him. 

One of Fela's performing sons, Seun Anikulapo Kuti (who played a storming set at Sage Gateshead last year) has tweeted 'rest in power and journey well ancestor Tony Allen.'

Steve T