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 Fela Kuti's Africa 70 and 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 Psyco On Da Bus, amongst others.