Tony Allen

Nigerian drummer, composer, and songwriter who lived and worked in Courbevoie, France.

Born: 20 July 1940 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Died: 30 April 2020 in Paris, France (aged 79).

Allen began working as a studio engineer. He played drums for [a=Fela Kuti]'s [a=Africa 70] and [a=Egypt 80] organisations, pioneering the unique beat and vibe of Afrobeat music which combines polyrhythmic influences of Africa with the breakbeats and extended jams of the American funk and R&B, which reached Nigeria in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Allen released solo afrobeat and psychedelic funk albums on his own, and is notable for his contributions to the supergroup [a23289], amongst others.