Tony Allen: 'World greatest drummer' and afrobeat legend don die
Nigerian drummer Tony Allen, wey be co-founder of afrobeat music, don die for Paris on Thursday, im manager don announce.
Tony Allen has been described as "perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived". Eric Trosset tell NPR radio say di 70-year-old die of heart attack. Tori pipo AFP say im death no dey linked to coronavirus. Allen na di drummer, musical director and leader of Fela Kuti famous band Africa '70 for 1960-70s. Fela, as pipo all over sabi am die for 1997. He once tok say "without Tony Allen, afrobeat no go exist". UK musician Brian Eno wen im dey tok about Allen say im "reason am to be di greatest drummer wey don ever live". Allen career and life tori dey documented inside im 2013 autobiography Tony Allen: Master Drummer of Afrobeat. Afrobeat music na di kind music wey combine tins from West Africa fuji music and highlife styles with American funk and jazz. How Fela Kuti's legacy and music lives on Allen, wey dem born for Lagos for 1940, teach imsef how to drum when im be 18. E say im learn im technique from di music of American jazz drummers Art Blakey and Max Roach. Allen bin first meet Fela for 1964, and dem form partnership wey produce plenty albums during di era of Africa '70 band, including Gentleman and Zombie. Allen later comot di band for 1979, afta kwanta wey im be get wit di band leader over royalty money. Allen migrate to London for 1984, and later move go Paris. Im follow many artists do collabo during im long music career, and na im be di drummer for The Good, the Bad & the Queen, with Damon Albarn, Paul Simenon and Simon Tong.