TONY ALLEN
Genres: African Fusion, Jazz Related Electronica, Hip-Hop, Hard Bop • Nigeria

Tony Oladipo Allen (12 August 1940 – 30 April 2020) was a Nigerian drummer, composer, and songwriter who lived and worked in Paris, France. Allen was the drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti's band Africa '70 from 1968 to 1979, and was one of the primary co-founders of the genre of Afrobeat music. Fela once stated that, "without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat." He has also been described by Brian Eno as "perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived." Allen's career and life story were documented in his 2013 autobiography Tony Allen: Master Drummer of Afrobeat, co-written with author/musician Michael E. Veal, who previously wrote a comprehensive biography of Fela Kuti. A self-taught musician born in Lagos, Allen began playing a drum kit at the age of 18, while working as an engineer for a Nigerian radio station. Allen was influenced by music his father listened read more...