Tony Allen
Tony Allen offers a way into Afrobeat through the drum kit. His work with Fela Kuti grew out of a Lagos career in highlife and jazz; his later move to France also makes this a story of musical circulation rather than a sound confined to one country.
The Source is a useful companion to the Africa 70 recordings. His Blue Note catalogue also includes A Tribute to Art Blakey, making it possible to follow his jazz connections alongside the dub and hip-hop influences in his solo work.
A recording to start with
The Source
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