Antibalas: Antibalas
Antibalas Antibalas Daptone/Shock It’s a great sound that Antibalas pays tribute to, for they are, essentially, a Fela Kuti covers act. Oh, they write their own material, mostly. But it is a...
View ArticlePlaylist: Tony Allen – Starter Kit
I’ve been a fan of Tony Allen’s playing for some time, since listening to Fela Kuti and a handful of Allen’s solo recordings; then there was the Damon Albarn connection and a few other albums where he...
View ArticleTony Allen: An Autobiography of The Master Drummer of Afrobeat
Tony Allen: An Autobiography of The Master Drummer of Afrobeat Tony Allen with Michael E. Veal Duke University Press Books So, in the end, I was quite disappointed with this book – I had been pretty...
View ArticleTony Allen: Film of Life
Tony Allen Film of Life Jazz Village If you already know Tony Allen’s work – as master African drummer behind Fela Kuti, co-creator of Afrobeat, then you won’t be surprised to know that he’s still...
View ArticleDrummers You Just Can’t Beat: # 7 – Tony Allen
You know when you see a really great juggler – the balls are all up in the air, the hands are simultaneously a blur and seem far too casual, you keep wondering how they’re going to make it, how will...
View ArticleStubs: #194 – Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Wellington, 2010
I think maybe this was the most disappointing show I’ve been to based on expectation – shit I was looking forward to it. Antibalas as they’re now called – it used to be Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra –...
View ArticleThe Music of Talking Heads: A Perfect Set of Worlds
I was introduced to the music of Talking Heads when the band was at its commercial peak. But to say I was introduced is not quite correct. I think, actually, the music announced itself. I’m talking the...
View ArticleR.I.P. Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker, the influential drummer from Cream and Blind Faith is dead. He was 80. He had been in poor health for years. A week or so ago we all got wind that his final breath was drawing near. By...
View ArticleEbo Taylor: Palaver
Ebo Taylor Palaver BBE Music Ebo Taylor – living legend of African highlife music is still in rude health at 83 – at least as far as 2018’s Yen Ara let us know; a career highlight. And now we have...
View ArticleR.I.P. Tony Allen
Reports are coming in that Tony Allen has died. He was just shy of his 80th birthday and had remained very active in music across the last decade; in fact he was super prolific – with a diverse range...
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