Tony Oladipo Allen (born August 12, 1940 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian drummer, composer, and songwriter. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixelsFull resolution (3421 × 2284 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 534 pixelsFull resolution (3421 × 2284 pixel, file size: 1. ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Lagos (disambiguation). ... For the comic book character, see Drummer (comics). ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ...

As drummer and musical director of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s band Africa 70 from 1968 to 1979, Tony Allen 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." Fela Anikulapo Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, October 15, 1938 - August 2, 1997), or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Afrobeat is a combination of Yoruba music, jazz, Highlife, and funk rhythms, fused with African percussion and vocal styles, popularized in Africa in the 1970s. ... Brian Eno (pronounced ) (born Brian Peter George St. ...

Early career

A self-taught musician, Allen began to play drum-kit at the age of eighteen, while working as an engineer for a Nigerian radio station. Allen was influenced by music his father listened to (Juju, traditional Yoruba ceremonial music), but also American jazz, & the growing highlife scene in Nigeria and Ghana. Allen worked hard to develop a unique voice on the drums- feverishly studying LP's & magazine articles by Max Roach & Art Blakey, but also revolutionary Ghanaian drummer Guy Warren (now Kofi Ghanaba-who developed a highly sought sound that mixed tribal Ghanaian drumming with bop- working with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk, and Max Roach). This article is about the style of music, for other meanings of the word juju, see juju. ... The music of the Yoruba people of Nigeria is best known for an extremely advanced drumming tradition, especially using the dundun hourglass tension drums. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Highlife is a musical genre that originated in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria in the 1920s and spread to other West African countries. ... Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was a bebop/hard bop percussionist, drummer, and composer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Guy Warren (born Kofi Ghanaba, 1923 in Acra) was a Ghanaian musician, best known as the inventer of Afro-jazz and a member of The Tempos. ... Guy Warren (born Kofi Ghanaba, 1923 in Acra) was a Ghanaian musician, best known as the inventer of Afro-jazz and a member of The Tempos. ... For the Australian cricketer nicknamed Dizzy, see Jason Gillespie. ... Charles Bird Parker, Jr. ... Thelonious Sphere Monk (October 10, 1917–February 17, 1982) was a jazz pianist and composer known for his unique improvisational style and many contributions to the standard jazz repertoire. ... Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was a bebop/hard bop percussionist, drummer, and composer. ...

Tony was hired by 'Sir' Victor Olayia to play claves (sticks) with his highlife band, "the Cool Cats". Tony was able to fill the drum-set chair when the former Cool Cats drummer left the band. Allen later played with Agu Norris and the Heatwaves, the Nigerian Messengers and the Melody Makers. Claves is a percussion instrument, consisting of a pair of short, thick wooden dowels. ...

Fela and Africa '70

In 1964, Fela Ransome Kuti invited Allen to audition for a jazz-highlife band he was forming. Kuti and Allen had played together as sidemen in the Lagos circuit. Fela complimented Allen’s unique sound: "How come you are the only guy in Nigeria who plays like this - jazz and highlife?" Thus Allen became an original member of Kuti’s "Koola Lobitos" highlife-jazz band.

In 1969, following a turbulent and educational trip to the U.S., Fela and the newly renamed Africa ’70 band developed a new militant African sound- mixing the heavy groove and universal appeal of James Brown’s soul with jazz, highlife, and the polyrhythmic template of Yoruba conventions. Allen developed a novel style to compliment Fela’s new African groove that blended these disparate genres. Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... For other persons named James Brown, see James Brown (disambiguation). ... Polyrhythm is the simultaneous sounding of two or more independent rhythms. ...

Allen recounts how Fela and he wrote in 1970, “Fela used to write out the parts for all the musicians in the band (Africa '70). I was the only one who originated the music I played. Fela would ask what type of rhythm I wanted to play… You can tell a good drummer because we… have four limbs… and they are… playing different things… the patterns don’t just come from Yoruba… [but] other parts of Nigeria and Africa.”(Graeme Ewens, “Africa O-Ye!”, 1991)

Allen recorded over 30 albums with Fela and Africa ’70, arguably Fela’s best works. But by the late 1970’s, dissention was growing in the ranks of the Africa ’70. Arguments over royalties/pay, and recognition grew in intensity. As inventor of the rhythms that underpinned Afrobeat and musical director, Allen felt especially slighted. Fela stood his ground, stating, that he would get the royalties for his songs. Fela did support Allen’s three solo recordings: Jealousy (’75), Progress (‘77), No Accommodation For Lagos (’79), but by 1979, Allen chose to leave Africa ’70, taking many members with him. ‘What makes me decide it’s time to go? It’s … everything...and (his) carelessness....like he doesn’t care, like he doesn’t know ...he doesn’t feel he’s done anything (wrong). And with all the parasites around too.... there were 71 people on tour by now and only 30 working in the band....you got to ask why. Those guys were sapping Fela of his Force, of his Music.’ So Tony moved on, once again in search of his own sound.’

Afrobeat to Afrofunk

Allen formed his own group, recording No Discrimination in 1980, and performing in Lagos until emigrating to London in 1984. Later moving to Paris, Allen recorded with King Sunny Ade, Ray Lema & Manu Dibango. Allen recorded N.E.P.A. in 1985. This article is about the capital of France. ... King Sunny Ade King Sunny Adé (Sunday Adeniyi, born 1946) is by far the most popular performer of Nigerian juju music. ... Ray Lema born 1946 in Lufutoto) is a pianist, guitarist, and songwriter from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ... Manu Dibango (born December 12, 1933) is a Cameroonian saxophonist and vibraphone player. ...

Post-Fela, Allen developed a hybrid sound, deconstructing & fusing Afrobeat with electronica, dub, R&B, and rap. Allen refers to this synthesis as Afrofunk. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Electronic music. ... For other uses, see Dub. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ...

Tony Allen returns with a much anticipated new project for his thirteenth release. Recorded live in Lagos, with a full-sized Afrobeat band, Lagos No Shaking (Lagos is OK), signifies Allen's return to roots Afrobeat after forays into avant-garde electronica hybrids. Lagos No Shaking was released on June 13, 2006.

Current Work

In 2006, Tony Allen joined with Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, and Simon Tong as drummer for The Good, the Bad and the Queen. Damon Albarn, (IPA: []) (born March 23, 1968 in Leytonstone, London), is an English singer-songwriter who gained fame as the lead singer of rock band Blur. ... Paul Simonon (born December 15, 1955 in Brixton, London, England) is best known as the bass guitarist and vocalist for punk rock band The Clash. ... Simon Tong a British a musican, a school friend of Richard Ashcroft, Simon Jones and Peter Salisbury played with the The Verve on Urban Hymns and replaced Nick McCabe. ... The Good, the Bad and the Queen is the debut album by an unnamed alternative rock band fronted by Damon Albarn released in January 2007. ...

He also made an appearance playing the drums in the Video for Once Upon a Time by French duo Air. Once Upon a Time is a song by the French duo Air and is the second track on their 2007 studio album Pocket Symphony. ... Air is a French music duo, consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel. ...

Tony plays drums on two tracks on the 2007 album "5:55" by Charlotte Gainsbourg: "5:55" and "Night-Time Intermission", backed by French duo Air and Jarvis Cocker of Blur. Charlotte Gainsbourg (born July 21, 1971) is a French actress and singer. ... Air is a French music duo, consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel. ... Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September 1963, in Sheffield, England) is an English musician, best known for fronting the band Pulp. ... Blur are an English rock band formed in Colchester in 1989. ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

The lyrics to the single Music Is My Radar (2000) by Blur pay homage to Tony Allen, and the song ends with Damon Albarn repeating the phrase “Tony Allen got me dancing.”^[1] Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Music Is My Radar is a song by British alternative rock band Blur. ... Blur are an English rock band formed in Colchester in 1989. ... Damon Albarn, (IPA: []) (born March 23, 1968 in Leytonstone, London), is an English singer-songwriter who gained fame as the lead singer of rock band Blur. ...

Bibliography

• Ewens, Graeme. Africa O-Ye!: A Celebration of African Music. New York: Da Capo, 1991.
• Moore, Carlos. Fela, Fela: This Bitch of a Life. London: Allison & Busby, 1982
• http://www.wrasserecords.com/artists/info/31.html
• http://www.babab.com/no16/tony_allen_EN.htm
• http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2003/11/10/20031110art01.html
• http://www.afrofunkforum.blogspot.com/
• http://www.tigersushi.com/site/frameset.jsp?page=Lbl.jsp&LblId=244

References

Discography

External links

• - Profile from AfricanMusiciansProfiles.com
• - A Fela Kuti/Africa 70 Discography
• The Afrofunk Music Forum blog: Daily news, music reviews and commentary on Afrobeat and related music from Africa, The Caribbean and The Americas.