Fela’s Drummer, Tony Allen Is Dead
A man who has been described as the ‘greatest drummer ever lived’, a topman in the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s band, Tony Allen is dead.
According to the report which was confirmed in a statement by Tony’s manager, Eric Trosset in a radio broadcast on Friday, May 1 told NPR that the 79-year-old drummer died of a heart attack in Paris on Thursday.
Naija News understands that Allen before Fela’s death was his right-hand man and his band musical director.
Fela before his death once stated that “without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat.”
Speaking about Allen’s death, Eric again took to his social media page to express his pain on the exit of the legend.
“Your eyes saw what most couldn’t see…as you used to say, there is no end,” Eric recalled memories.
On his part, United Kingdom artists, Brian Eno said: “perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived”.
Also expressing condolence is Beninois singer, Angelique Kidjo who described the death of the legend as devastating.
“What I want to remember from them is our musical conversation, our laughter, our joy. They are gone, but they are not gone for me,” said Kidjo in a conversation with BBC’s Newsday.
Meanwhile, Nigerian video vixen Love-Divine (LD) popularly known as Kodak Picture has died from electrocution.