theartsdesk Radio Show 28 - Tony Allen tribute with guest Stephen Budd

Homage to the late Afro-beat legend, and interview about him with his friend and African music DJ Stephen Budd

share this article

Rhythm pioneer:Tony Allen

Peter Culshaw’s occasional global radio music show comes blinking into the light after lockdown, as MusicBox radio’s studio In London’s Clerkenwell has tentatively, antiseptically, opened. In the months since March, we have lost numerous kings of rhythm, including, as mentioned in the show, Florian Schneider and Little Richard.

This edition focuses on the legacy of the great drum legend Tony Allen, who pioneered Afro-beat with Fela Kuti. We talk to Stephen Budd, Tony Allen's friend, as well as an obsessive Afro-beat collector and DJ. He has had an illustrious career in music, from being a roadie for X-Ray Spex, to managing Heaven 17 and a leading light of Africa Express and other notable events, recently the extraordinary DMZ Peace Train Festival in the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea. We once met in Ramallah at the PMX Festival which encourages Palestinian artists. Usually, Stephen would have come into the studio, but our chat took place remotely with occasional but not drastic technical blips.

TO HEAR THE SHOW CLICK HERE

Tracklist

V2 Sneider - David Bowie

Tutti Frutti - Little Richard

Tour De France - Kraftwerk

Moanin’ - Tony Allen

Secret Agent - Tony Allen

Water No Get Enemy - Fela Kuti

Zombie - Fela Kuti

Vel Undu - Susheela Raman

Moyege - Tony Allen

Night In Tunisia - Tony Allen

Let’s Start - Fela Kuti

Shakara - Fela Kuti

Luis Bordon - La Galopera

We Are the Robots - Kraftwerk

Misri Jogi - Malhar

 

 

 

 

 

Add comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Name that you would like to appear as the author of the comment
In the months since March, we have lost numerous kings of rhythm, including Florian Schneider and Little Richard

rating

0

share this article

the future of arts journalism

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing! 

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a great deal, and hope you do too.

To take a monthly subscription now simply click here.

Or
Why not take an annual subscription and save a third off our monthly price simply click here.

more new music

The Fez Festival Of World Sacred Music and the Fes Gathering bring the world together
Bristol band aren't happy but offer up the occasional sing-along
A new album is unveiled and old tunes are played for the last time
Decades of psychedelia and wonder packed into a puzzling construction
Neo-folk songs that are woozy and atmospheric but thoroughly engaging
An eardrum damaging evening spent with Birmingham’s Sunn O))) worshippers
Trio with Gene Calderazzo and Alec Dankworth is a jewel of British jazz
Madonna and Stuart Price concoct a set that's bangin' and occasionally affecting
Boundaries not broken, but extraordinary interlocked playing, on the quintet's fourth album