#flea kuti

[pyritetears]

Flea Kuti & His Wives, The KalaKuti Queens. (1978)

[ear-worthy]

Season Two Of Santigold's 'Noble Champions' Podcast Has Premiered

The podcast's title -- Noble Champions -- is inspired by Wassily Kandinsky, who was a Russian painter and art theorist. Kandinsky is generally credited as one of the pioneers of abstraction in western art. Kandinsky once said that periods during which art has no noble champions are ones of retrogression. On her podcast, Santigold and "fellow champions" try to make sense out of our world, and push culture forward.

Last week, the second season of Santigold’s podcast Noble Champions launched. "In each bi-weekly episode, she sits down with some of today’s leading artists, authors, activists, and progressive thinkers who stand up, stick up and speak up for important causes." Noble Champions exposes listeners to these candid no-holds-barred roundtable conversations where ideas and experiences are exchanged. Philadelphia-born Santi White is known professionally as Santigold, an American singer and songwriter. She obtained her pseudonym in the 1990s after a friend gave it to her as a nickname In 2008, Santigold's self-titled debut album has been credited as a catalyst for the cross-genre sound of contemporary pop music. In 2022, Santigold released her album Spirituals as a multi-sensory experience with a corresponding line of teas whose ingredients speak to the record’s themes and a series of video vignettes.

Santigold's goal is to try to make some sense out of our world, to push culture forward. Boundary-expanding and defiantly vulnerable, Noble Champions is a public invitation to an intimate gathering of the minds. The second season features: Shailene Woodley, Flea, Seun Kuti, Vince Staples, Wyatt Cenac, Rep. Maxwell Frost, Adesuwa Aighewi, Syd, Terence Nance, Kiese Laymon and more. Listen here.

Episode 1 with John Jennings and Terence Nance is a discussion about afrofuturism and how, at a time when the world is in such a precarious place, art that envisions a better future is crucial. To tackle this subject, Santi sits down with best-selling writer, illustrator and academic John Jennings and artist, filmmaker and musician Terence Nance (creator of HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness), as they discuss rituals, the tools of imagining, deindustrializing oneself, time as a nonlinear construct, and much more.

The forthcoming episode 2 with Shailene Woodley and Odille Zexter-Kaiser looks at how we can disconnect from technology as a way of connecting more with our inner selves and others. Joining her in this discussion are Shailene Woodley, an actor and activist who is an ardent advocate for living a tech-free lifestyle, and Odille Zexter-Kaiser, a former member of the Luddite Club, a group of New York City high school students who intentionally limited their use of technology in order to live in a more grounded, tangible reality.

The complete first season of Noble Champions features guests: Tunde Adebimpe, Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def), Sanford Biggers, Bun B, Idris Elba, Mary Anais Heglar, Dan Kovalik, Resmaa Menakem, Questlove, Rebecca Walker, Olivia Wilde, Saul Williams, and Angela Yee.

Check out Noble Champions with Santigold. She's a solid interviewer with a lot of on her mind, and the curiosity to find out what her guests are thinking.

d

[concerthopperblog]

The Unlimited Love Tour: Red Hot Chili Peppers & Wand 7/12/2024

In December of 2023, Red Hot Chili Peppers decided to extend the Unlimited Love Tour after having amazing runs in 2022 & 2023. On select dates Special Guests Kid Cudi, Ice Cube, Ken Carson, Otoboke Beaver, Seun Kuti & Egypt80, and Wand. Earlier this year, I noticed they would return to the road for another leg of their tour. I thought it would be a good idea to try covering this tour for Concerthopper, especially after learning they would perform at the Darien Lake Amphitheater. When the confirmation email arrived the day before the show, it was unexpected. I never thought I would take photos of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. As I made my way to the venue, I listened to some of their biggest hits such as "Californication" and "Scar Tissue." When I arrived at the venue, I was excited to see Red Hot Chili Peppers perform, but before that, we caught a performance by the band Wand.

WAND is an American psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles, California, United States, formed in 2013. The band consists of Cory Hanson (vocals, guitar), Robert Cody (guitar), Evan Backer (bass), and Evan Burrows (drums). They have consistently released an album each year since their rise to stardom, with their latest album being Vertigo. This band was a bit different from the music I usually listen to, but I enjoyed their performance. The singer, Cory Hanson, had a lot of energy, singing, playing the guitar, and even playing the harmonica right from the start of their set. Their music reminded me of the Beatles but with a modern twist. They played 13 songs, and out of their whole set, I enjoyed their song "Flying Golem" the most.

The legendary Red Hot Chili Peppers, hailing from Los Angeles and formed in 1982, are a force to be reckoned with. Led by the charismatic vocalist Anthony Kiedis, fueled by the funky basslines of Flea, propelled by the rhythmic beats of drummer Chad Smith, and adorned with the soulful guitar melodies of John Frusciante, their music is a unique fusion of alternative rock, funk, hard rock, hip hop, and psychedelic rock. With an impressive discography of 13 albums, their tracks like "Californication," "Under The Bridge," and "Give It Away" have seeped into the hearts of their fans. The band has been honored with 73 awards and 65 nominations worldwide, including an outstanding twelve Grammy Award wins out of sixteen nominations. As the time approached for the Red Hot Chili Peppers to take the stage, I could feel the anticipation building. Then, something caught my eye - Flea walking onto the stage, effortlessly executing a handstand. His energy set the tone for the night as he launched into a captivating bass solo, setting the stage on fire and getting the crowd pumped for the show ahead. Throughout the night, the band treated the audience to almost 20 electrifying songs, including a thrilling cover of "I Remember You" by the Ramones with a standout solo by John Frusciante and a soulful rendition of "The Zephyr Song". The night reached its zenith with crowd favorites like "Under The Bridge" and "Give It Away" during the encore, leaving everyone buzzing with excitement. As I made my way out of the venue, I couldn't help but notice fans peering through the fence and lingering near the back gates, eager to catch a glimpse of the unforgettable performance they had just witnessed.

Stay in the loop about the latest and greatest music events and concerts by following Concerthopper on Instagram and Facebook. Join our community today to ensure you never miss out on the most popular music experiences. Immerse yourself in the heart of the action and be a part of unforgettable music moments with Concerthopper!

[demmyfuji]

[rock-basstard]

Flea and John posing with Fela Kuti’s albums, photographed by Steven Dewall (August 2008)

[julio-viernes]

___

“Rocket Juice & The Moon” (2012) “se convierte en una fiesta caliente o un embrollo caliente, al final la música toca los dos extremos”. John Murph. Uno de los supergrupos de Damon Albarn, como The Good, the Bad & the Queen en el que también tocaba Tony Allen. En el único elepé  que publicó la superbanda participaron entre otros Flea, Erykah Badu, Fatoumata Diawara, The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, M.anifest & Cheick Tidiane Seck. 

[justforbooks]

Tony Allen, legendary drummer and Afrobeat co-founder, dies aged 79

Gilles Peterson and Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers pay tribute to the Fela Kuti collaborator, described by Brian Eno as ‘perhaps the greatest drummer who ever lived’

The Nigerian drummer Tony Allen, who is credited with creating Afrobeat along with his old bandmate Fela Kuti, died suddenly at the age of 79 in Paris on Thursday, his manager said.

“We don’t know the exact cause of death,” Eric Trosset said, adding it was not linked to the coronavirus.

“He was in great shape, it was quite sudden. I spoke to him at 1pm then two hours later he was sick and taken to Pompidou hospital, where he died.”

Allen was the drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti’s band Africa ’70 in the 1960s and 70s.

During that time the pair created Afrobeat, combining west African musical styles such as highlife and fuji music with US jazz and funk. Afrobeat went on to become one of the totemic genres of 20th century African music.

Over Allen’s thrilling beat, Kuti laid out his revolutionary and pan-African message, which led him to become one of the abiding icons of the struggle for freedom across the continent. “Few people have the kind of communication that Fela and I had when we played music,” Allen said.

Allen and Kuti recorded some 40 albums together as Africa ’70, before parting ways after a mythic 26-year collaboration, with Allen citing Kuti’s disorganisation and debts to him as the reason for his departure. Such was the hole that Allen left in his band, Kuti required several drummers to replace him.

Of his singular style, Allen said: “I try to make my drums sing and turn them into an orchestra. I don’t bash my drums. Instead of bashing, I caress. If you caress your wife, you’ll get good things from your wife; if you beat her, up I’m sure she’ll be your enemy.”

Born in Lagos in 1940, Allen taught himself to play drums at the age of 18, drawing inspiration from the US jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, as well as contemporary African music. He has attributed his versatility to the need to make a living as a jobbing musician in Lagos in the early 60s. “Latin American, African horns, jazz, highlife … you had to be able to play it all because in the club they asked for it,” he said.

In 1969, touring the US for the first time with Kuti, a meeting with west coast jazz drummer Frank Butler inspired him to practise every morning on pillows, making his sticks bounce off them while he was rolling. “It adds flexibility,” he said. “Very effective. Effortless – that’s what I tried to catch from [Butler].” As part of Kuti’s band, he would sometimes drum for six hours without a break.

The British musician and producer Brian Eno has called Allen “perhaps the greatest drummer who ever lived”.

In 1984, Allen moved to London, and by the turn of the millennium had settled in Paris. In the 2000s, he added dub and electronica to his solo output – sometimes to the ire of Afrobeat purists – and became an in-demand collaborator for a younger generation of musicians, among them Jarvis Cocker, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Sébastien Tellier.

On Blur’s 2000 song Music Is My Radar, Damon Albarn sang: “Tony Allen really got me dancing.” The pair would begin regular collaborations soon after. Allen sometimes participated in Albarn’s Africa Express residencies on the continent. He was the drummer in the supergroup the Good, the Bad & the Queen, also featuring Clash bassist Paul Simonon, which released albums in 2007 and 2018. In 2008, Allen, Albarn and Flea formed the supergroup Rocket Juice and the Moon.

Allen was dismissive, however, of a wave of Afrobeat-inspired indie bands such as Vampire Weekend that emerged at the end of the 2000s. “They write the basslines and the horns … but what about the drums? The drummer comes and doesn’t know what to play, because that is the bit with the discipline. He will play what he knows, which doesn’t fit the music.”

His most recent album was Rejoice, a collaboration with Hugh Masekela. The pair met in Nigeria in the 70s, when Allen was playing with Kuti.

This year he planned to work on what he described as a “travel album”, playing with young musicians in Nigeria, London, Paris and the US, “because I want to take care of youngsters – they have messages and I want to bring them on my beat,” he told the Guardian.

Allen, who described himself as a “simple gentle guy”, lived in the Paris suburb Courbevoie.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[kickmag]

R.I.P. Tony Allen

Nigerian drummer Tony Allen, who created the Afrobeat genre with Fela Kuti died in Paris at the age of 79 on Thursday. The cause of death was an aortic aneurysm. Allen was Kuti's drummer and musical director from 1968 to 1979 for the Africa '70 band. The artists had played together in the past on the Lagos scene but Fela chose Allen for his band because he was the only drummer using the highlife sound and blending it with jazz. It was during this time that Fela produced music like the incendiary Zombie album that criticized the Nigerian government. The music was so popular that the officials destroyed Fela's Kalakuta Republic commune and threw his mother out of a window. Allen did release three solo albums while he was with Fela; Jealousy, Progress and No Accommodation For Lagos. By the end of the decade, Allen left Fela's band for good and morphed his sound into what he called Afrofunk using R&B, dub, electronic and rap. He recorded over 10 solo albums and made music with many collaborators including Manu Dibango, Damon Albarn, DJ Jeff Mills, Flea and Oumou Sangaré. In 2019, filmmaker Opiyo Okeyo's film about Allen's life Birth Of Afrobeat screened at the American Black Film Festival. 

[affairesasuivre]

WAR / HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (aussi connu sous le nom de The Bad Boys of Jazz) est un ensemble de 8 musiciens, basé à Chicago, composé de huit fils du trompettiste de jazz Phil Cohran. Leur style musical s'étend du hip-hop au jazz, au funk et au rock, y compris le calypso et la musique gypsie.

Ils appellent leur mélange éclectique de sons le «now music», ou «hypnotic». Élevés dans les enseignements de la musique depuis qu'ils sont enfants, ils ont grandi sur la scène en jouant en tant que le "Phil Cohran Youth Ensemble".

Ils ont joué avec Mos Def, Aquilla Sadalla, Phil Cohran, La Recette, Nomadic Massive, Tony Allen, Clan Wu Tang, De La Soul, Prince, Femi Kuti, Gorillaz, B52 et au North Sea Jazz Festival. Ils ont joué avec Mos Def, Aquilla Sadalla, Phil Cohran, La Recette, Nomadic Massive, Tony Allen, Clan Wu Tang, De La Soul, Prince, Femi Kuti, Gorillaz, B52 et au North Sea Jazz Festival. Ils ont enregistré avec des noms allant de Erykah Badu à Ghostface Killah du Wu Tang Clan, à BK-One, Childish Gambino à Maxwell.

Ils ont fait la première partie de Blur lors de leur « Hyde Park reunion concerts » les 2 et 3juillet 2019. Ils ont également collaboré surun certain nombre de morceaux du 3 ème album studio de Gorillaz, Plastic Beach. Leur titre « War » figurait au box office de Hunger Games, en tant que thème principal pour le personnage de Ceasar Flickerman.

Ils ont collaboré sur des pistes avec le groupe Rocket Juice & the Moon, un projet mettant en vedette Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) au chant / guitare / clavier, Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) à la basse et le légendaire Batteur Afrobeat Tony Allen (Fela Kuti et Beaucoup d'autres) sur l'album auto-intitulé du premier groupe.

[kwameafrica]

Legendary Nigerian drummer and co-founder of Afrobeat, Tony Oladipo Allen, died suddenly at the age of 79 in Paris on Thursday/Photo: World Circuit Records

Milestone: Afrobeat legend Tony Allen passes on

“Legendary Nigerian drummer and co-founder of Afrobeat, Tony Oladipo Allen, died suddenly at the age of 79 in Paris on Thursday.The musician had suffered a sudden heart attack and was taken to hospital where he gave up the ghost, his manager, Eric Trosset, announced.Allen was a founding member of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s very first band and he’s credited by no lesser a person than Fela himself that the drummer co-founded Afrobeat, a musical style that was to take Africa and the world by storm.  Allen was the drummer and musical director of Fela’s band, Africa ’70, in the 1960s and 70s, recording about 40 albums before parting ways after a 26-year collaboration in 1979. Allen blamed Fela’s “disorganisation” and debts to him as the reason for the split.

Allen formed his own group, recording No Discrimination in 1980, and performing in Lagos until emigrating to London in 1984 before later moving to Paris, where he lived and worked until his death.

Fela at every opportunity during his lifetime acknowledged the role of Allen in the emergence of Afrobeat. “Without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat,” the Afrobeat king himself once said.

Even though Allen never attained the global fame of Fela, he became an icon of modern African music, collaborating with artists from all corners of the world, ranging from King Sunny Ade, Manu Dibango to Art Blakey and playing  most recently as part of the The Good, the Bad and the Queen.

Tributes have been pouring in for the master drummer. “The epic Tony Allen, one of the greatest drummers to ever walk this earth has left us. What a wildman, with a massive, kind and free heart and the deepest one-of-a-kind groove,” Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea commented.

Nigerian-American rapper Jidenna described Allen as “The Godfather of Afrobeat Rhythms” and said his sound changed lives.

In March 2020, Tony Allen released a new record, titled Rejoice, which he recorded in 2010 with legendary South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, who died in early 2018.

The two world-famous musicians met in the 1970s through their mutual acquaintance Fela and had been talking about working together on an Afrobeat album for decades. When the tour plans of both musicians overlapped in Britain in 2010, the right moment finally came and the producer Nick Gold took the opportunity to record the collaboration.

The resulting unfinished sessions, which contained all of the duo’s original compositions, were stored in an archive until Masekela’s death in 2018. With the blessing and support of Masekela’s heirs, Tony Allen and producer Nick Gold dug out the original tapes with newfound passion. In summer 2019 they finished recording the album in the same London studio where it all began.

Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela recording ‘Rejoice’ /Photo: World Circuit Records

Tony Allen’s final solo album was 2016’s No Borders. A title that perhaps encapsulates his belief in the globality of music.

In one his last interviews, in 2019, the legendary drummer was asked how he felt about contemporary Nigerian music compared with what it was when he started out. He said divisions based on geographical boundaries weren’t necessary for the arts. “When it comes to music I don’t think of Nigerian music and American music or British music, I think of music. When you talk about Nigerian music, I don’t know specifically what that is. It is just music,” he added.

Allen’s career and life story were documented in his 2013 autobiography Tony Allen: Master Drummer of Afrobeat, co-written with author/musician Michael E. Veal, who previously wrote a comprehensive biography of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

Adira Kallo”

source: https://www.theafricancourier.de/culture/milestone-afrobeat-legend-tony-allen-passes-on/

[hungarian-words]

Hungarian 🐶 vocabulary

General dog

kutya - dog; plural: kutyák eb - dog; plural: ebek kiskutya - puppy; plural: kiskutyák

kutyus - doggy; plural: kutyusok kiskutyus - puppy; plural: kiskutyusok (same endearment as above, but can’t express it in English) kutyuska - doggy; plural: kutyuskák kutyuli-mutyuli - doggy-dog; plural: kutyuli-mutyulik

öleb - dog; literal: lap-dog plural: ölebek véreb - dog; literally: blood-dog; plural: vérebek 

blöki - dog; plural: blökik házőrző - dog; literally: home-guard; plural: házőrzők bolhazsák - dog; literally: flea-bag; plural: bolhazsákok

éjjeli bátor - dog; literally: brave of the night; used in the country

csahos - dog; literally: barker; plural: csahosok (older) vahúr - dog; plural: vahúrok (really old word for dog, my computer even marks it with red)

faj - species; plural: fajok fajta - breed; plural: fajták kutyafajta - dog breed; plural: kutyafajták fajtatiszta - purebred

[ - Milyen fajtájú ez a kutya?] “What breed is this dog?” [ - Milyen fajta?] “What breed?” (e.g. when you ask and point your chin at the dog) [ - Fajtatiszta?] “Is he purebred?”

[ - Kutyás vagyok.] “I’m a dog person.”

Doing things with the dog

játszani a kutyával - to play with the dog játszani a kutyákkal - to play with the dogs kutyázni - to do something with the dog; to pet the dog; to play with the dog; to have all attention on the dog; basically, if your mom asks you to do something you can reply [ - Nem tudok, most kutyázom.] “I can’t, I’m with the dog right now”

megsimogatni a kutyát - to pet the dog megsimogatni a kutyákat - to pet the dogs simogatni a kutyát - to pet the dog simogatni a kutyákat - to pet the dogs

megfésülni a kutyát - to brush the dog megfésülni a kutyákat - to brush the dogs

megvakarni a kutya fülét - to scratch the dog’s ear megvakargatni a kutya fület - to scratch the dog’s ear (cuter version)

eldobni a labdát - to throw the ball eldobni a játékot - to throw the toy kutyajáték - dog toy; plural: kutyajátékok

kiengedni a kutyát - to let the dog out kiengedni a kutyákat - to let the dogs out beengedni a kutyát - to let the dog in beengedni a kutyákat - to let the dogs in

elmenni sétálni - to go for a walk (dog optional) elmenni sétálni a kutyával - to go for a walk with the dog elmenni sétálni a kutyákkal - to go for a walk with the dogs megsétáltatni a kutyát - to take the dog for a walk megsétáltatni a kutyákat - to take the dogs for a walk

póráz - leash; plural: pórázok  pórázra tenni a kutyát - to put the dog on a leash pórázra tenni a kutyákat - to put the dogs on a leash

nyakörv - dog collar; plural: nyakörvek rárakni a kutyára a nyakörvet - to put the collar on the dog rárakni a kutyákra a nyakörveket - to put the collars on the dogs

jutalomfalat - dog treat; plural: jutalomfalatok megjutalmazni (a kutyát)/(a kutyákat) - to reward (the dog)/(the dogs) [ - Ki a jó fiú?] “Who’s a good boy?”

szeretni a kutyákat - to love dogs nem szeretni a kutyákat - to dislike dogs utálni a kutyákat - to hate dogs

megetetni a kutyát - to feed the dog ennivalót adni a kutyának - to give food to the dog ételt adni a kutyának - to give food to the dog kaját adni a kutyának - to give food to the dog (kaja is slang for food) kutyakaja - dog food

megitatni a kutyát - to give water to the dog (used as “feed”, but “to water the dog” doesn’t make sense in English) vizet adni a kutyának - to give water to the dog

megmosni a kutya szőrét - to wash the dog’s fur kutyaszőr - dog hair szőrös - hairy/ covered with hair bunda - fur; plural: bundák a kutya bundája - the dog’s fur

Things that the dog does

ugatni - to bark vakkantani - to bark (it’s used to describe that sound when the dog only barks once, not the continuous barking) vakkantgatni - to bark (from the word vakkantani, but this one is when the dog “barks once” more times in a little time. like, it barks once, then it is silent, and then it barks once again, and so on. that’s vakkantgatni) csaholni - to bark vonyítani - to howl vonítani - to howl (older version) hapcizni - to sneeze ásítani - to yawn

harapni - to bite megharapni valakit - to bite someone morogni - to growl

rágcsálni - to chew rágni - to chew  csócsálni - to chew

[ - A kutya szeret rágcsálni.] “The dog loves to chew.” [ - Rágni is szokott.] “He also chews.” [ - Szereti a cipőket csócsálni.] “He loves to chew on shoes.” [ - A kutya megrágta a cipőmet!] “The dog has chewed my shoes!” [ - Amikor kicsi volt, mindig az én cipőmet rágcsálta.] “When he was little, he always chewed on my shoes.” [ - Annyira megcsócsálta a cipőmet, hogy használhatatlanok lettek.] “He chewed on my shoes for so long that I can’t use them anymore.”

lihegni - to pant a kutyának melege van - the dog is warm (it is hot for the dog)

vakarni - to scratch (someone/something) vakarózni - to scratch (yourself) kaparni - to scratch (surface)

vedleni - to shed a kutya hullajtja a szőrét - the dog sheds (lit. the dog let’s its hair fall)

csóválni a farkat - to wag the tail a kutya csóválja a farkát - the dog wag’s its tail a kutya a lábai közé húzza a farkát - the dog puts its tail between its legs

futni - to run körbe-körbe futni - to run in  circles

ülni - to sit leülni - to sit down feküdni - to lie (on the floor/ground/...) lefeküdni - to lay down

piszkálni - to tease someone/something bökdösni [valakit] (az orral) - to poke [someone ](with the nose)

nyalni - to lick megnyalni - to lick (that thing) megnyalni az arcot - to lick the face nyál - saliva nyálas - slobbery/ something is covered in saliva összenyálazni valamit - to cover something in saliva nyáladzani - to slobber

pacsit adni - to give a high five

aludni - to sleep

vadászni - to hunt kergetni - to chase (something/someone)

hányni - to vomit pisilni - to pee lepisilni valamit - to pee on something kakilni - to poop rákakilni valamire - to poop on something

saying it ruder, when your dog made you angry: hugyozni - to piss (rude word but not a cuss word) lehugyozni valamit - to piss on something szarni - to take a shit (cuss word!) rászarni valamire - to shit on something (cuss word!)

(Some) Hungarian dog names

We have dogs that are called people’s names, also dogs that are called object names. Listing a few names that are "Hungarian”:

Buksi Bogáncs - from the book Bogáncs by Fekete István (it is a bout a dog) Zsömle Tappancs Csibész Fickó Szimat Mancs Kormos Vitéz Morzsi Bodri Döme Bukfenc Gombóc

(Some) Hungarian dog breeds:

Magyar vizsla - Hungarian vizsla

Puli

Komondor

Pumi

Kuvasz

Mudi

Magyar agár - Hungarian greyhound

Other dog-related stuff

[ - A kutyafáját!] “Damn it!” (lit. “The dog’s tree!”); cuss word without actual cussing ebadta - synonyms: komisz, rendetlen, szófogadatlan; nasty, careless, disobedient; old word [ - Kutya egy idő!] “Such bad weather!” (lit. “Such dog weather!”)

farkas- wolf; plural: farkasok

[music-prong]

Tony Allen,World's greatest drummer and afrobeat pioneer is Dead

Tony Allen,World's greatest drummer and afrobeat pioneer is Dead Tony Allen, Former drummer, composer and songwriter of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti has died at 79 in Paris.

Tony Allen: 'World's greatest drummer' and afrobeat pioneer is Dead  Allen’s death was announced on Thursday by his manager, Eric Trosset, during a session with Agence France-Presse (AFP). He stated that Allen took ill in the afternoon and was taken to the Hôpital européen Georges-Pompidou, where he died. We don’t know the exact cause of death. “He was in great shape, it was quite sudden. I spoke to him at 1pm then two hours later he was sick and taken to Pompidou hospital, where he died,” Trosset said MUSICPRONG ALSO POSTED:Broda Shaggi Ft. Zlatan – Okoto Mp3 Download Allen was born in Lagos in 1940 and was regarded as one of the founders of Afrobeat. A self-taught musician, he began playing drums at the age of 18 while working as an engineer for a Nigerian radio station. Allen was the drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti’s band Africa ’70 in the 1960s and 70s and Late Fela once stated that, “Without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat,” over his thrilling styles on drums.

Tony Allen: 'World's greatest drummer' and afrobeat pioneer is Dead Allen and Kuti recorded some 40 albums together as Africa ’70 before parting ways after a mythic 26-year collaboration. Such was the hole that Allen left in his band Kuti needed four drummers to replace him. Also, he was the drummer in the supergroup the Good, the Bad & the Queen, also featuring the Blur singer Damon Albarn and the Clash bassist Paul Simonon, which released its second album in 2018. Artists, including Major Lazer, Gilles Peterson and Flea have paid tributes to Allen on Twitter with the rapper Biz Markie describing him as “an all-time titan spanning continents, eras, and sounds.” Tweets and posts from Colleague who worked with him;   View this post on Instagram   Bye bye Tony Allen, beautiful spirit and friend who has changed the history of African music. I was so lucky to work with you on my last 2 albums. Sending lots of love to his family and friends. @allencodrum A post shared by Angelique Kidjo (@angeliquekidjo) on Apr 30, 2020 at 10:11pm PDT You put the beat in Afrobeat. A giant. Rest in paradise and thank you for a lifetime of being quietly epic. Honored that some of my most memorable times on this journey were in studios and on stages with you. Journey well Tony Allen 🕊🖤 pic.twitter.com/1XzkFoeZQd — M.anifest - stream #TheGamble (@manifestive) May 1, 2020     Read the full article

[markwatkinsconsumerguide]

Consumer Guide / No.91 / Artist, blogger, collector and Charlie Gillett fan,  Michael Leigh with Mark Watkins.

MW : Your background...

ML : I was born in London just after The Second World War so part of the “baby boom” generation. My parents lived in Highbury at the time and soon moved to various places around Kent and Essex – staying with relatives – uncles and aunties etc. as accommodation was very hard to find at the time. 

Eventually, my working class parents got on a housing waiting list for the new town Basildon (about 30 miles outside London, in Essex) and a couple of years later around 1953 got a small, modern, terraced house with a bathroom and a garden – things we'd never had before. 

The town at the time was a mixture of old villages and housing estates and farmland so I had a pretty enjoyable childhood roaming over fields and exploring old derelict bungalows and farm houses etc. that were due for re-development.

I enjoyed junior school but wasn't even allowed to take my Eleven-plus so ended up in a terrible secondary school, which I hated. The only nice teacher was the art master who was very encouraging and those were the lessons I really looked forward to. I seemed to be pretty hopeless at everything else except maybe for technical drawing. 

So after gaining just one O level in Art I enrolled in the general course at the local art school which happened to be Southend-On-Sea, about 15 miles away in the Thames Estuary. This was a real eye opener for me – mixing with so many like-minded and interesting individuals who loved art as much as I did. Great teachers who were very encouraging and helpful. I loved it!  

Looking back through rose coloured glasses these seemed like the Halcyon Days of my youth.  

MW : Tell me about your interest in art and any key "light bulb" moments at Art School...

ML : Key light bulb moments?  Well, I suppose just being immersed in art all day long was  totally thrilling and I thought myself very lucky to spend four years just painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture etc. 

My parents were very supportive too most of the time, although I'm sure they thought “a proper job” would be more beneficial ! I had no grant at the time only my bus fares paid by the local council. I realised if I needed to progress to the next level of education – university – I had to acquire some more O levels. 

So I had to do some night classes to catch up. Eventually getting a Level 3 over three years which enabled me to do a foundation course and go on to study fine art in Manchester, where I got my degree and afterwards a postgraduate place at Chelsea School of Art in London.

MW : What type of art do you produce...

ML : I've enjoyed all kinds of medium in art over the years – painting with oils and watercolours and making the occasional print when the opportunity arose. It wasn't until 1980 that I discovered the International Mail Art Network via a lovely exhibition at the Greenwich Theatre Gallery in South London, and so the painting took a back seat for a while and I concentrated on collages, rubber stamping and photo copies etc. - things that could easily be stuffed into an envelope and sent to other artists around the globe. 

This is how I met Hazel, my wife, after sending weird artworks back and forth to each other until we finally met up and fell in love. We have been together for 35 years now and have a 26 year old son who has just graduated from the Royal College of Art. 

I should mention the exhibition of our joint archive of mail art that goes on show this September at Special Collections at Manchester Metropolitan University. It's on until April 3rd, 2020 so you have plenty of time to go and visit it. It will be one of the largest shows of postal art ever in the UK.

MW : Do you have a favourite artist? 

ML : One of my favourite artists is the collagist John Evans who sadly died a few years back – we had been correspondents for over 25 years and he used to send me a collage for my birthday, as well as many ink stained letters from New York, his home town. He is featured in this exhibition in Manchester and we have several of his collages dotted around our house.

MW : What do you enjoy collecting? 

ML : I enjoy collecting all manner of things from mail art, postcards, rubber stamps, ephemera, records, toys etc. - the list goes on and on. Hazel, my wife, and my son Archie are also avid collectors of stuff.

We frequent boot sales, charity shops and flea markets all the time and have quite filled this little house from top to bottom with all kinds of junk (err... I mean antiques and collectables!).

Every now and then we have a purge and get rid of loads of DVD's, books etc. and take them to the charity shop, where hopefully some other collector will find room for them.

MW : How did you get into recording Charlie Gillett's radio shows, building up an archive, exchanging correspondence and mixtapes?

ML : I first encountered the DJ Charlie Gillett when he did a wonderful show on BBC Radio London in the 70's called “Honky Tonk”. Every Sunday I used to race back from the flea market in East London, where I lived at the time, to record his shows on an ancient reel-to- reel tape recorder with the microphone wedged up against the old valve radio speaker. 

Later on, I upgraded to a cassette player which made things a lot easier. I was making mix tapes of my own from records I found at the market and various other places and so eventually I sent him one and our correspondence began. Charlie would send me the occasional record, or a letter  - even some photos of his travels. He then moved to Capital Radio and did a show with World Music as the main interest and I was collecting that sort of thing too. Eventually he asked me to go on his show to play some market finds which I did in 1989.

I rather lost touch when we moved from London and couldn't hear his radio shows (except for those on the World Service) anymore and was shocked and saddened by his untimely death. I have tried to keep his name and his shows alive by uploading them onto my music blog and later onto the dedicated page on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1694083207508317/

MW: Why is Charlie (Gillett) much missed? 

ML : Charlie is much missed mainly because he was quite unique in the radio world being a passionate enthusiast of all genres of music from Rock 'n' Roll to World Music and was extremely knowledgeable. Also, he always found guests that were equally knowledgeable and engaging. 

Nobody comes close to him on the airwaves today because deejays seem to have lost the art of communicating. It's all a bit corporate and flash these days with brash personalities taking over the airwaves with crass chat and awful banter - I can't stand it! Charlie was one of the last real deejays - a bygone era of radio that will sadly never return.  

MW : Do you listen to music on the radio?

ML : I rarely listen to music on the radio these days. I much prefer playing records or CD's. 

As a child of the 1950's, I was brought up on Rock 'n' Roll - so still love Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard etc. - not many British artists, except maybe for Lonnie Donegan and The Shadows.

Later on in the 1960's it was The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks etc. 

I still listen to all that stuff with a mixture of Punk and New Wave from the 1980's - and - more recently World Music - artists such as Fela Kuti, Salif Keita, M'Bilia Bel, Youssou N'Dour etc.

MW : Your ideal day? 

ML : Ideal days for me are usually going out to a boot sale or an antique emporium with my dear wife or else shopping around charity shops in Chester or Llandudno etc. 

We also like country walks and finding cafes to have tea and a slice of cake. Somewhere like Whitegate Way in Cheshire where you can do both – their recently refurbished station café (it used to be an old railway line), all run by volunteers and sells lovely food and drink etc.

MW: How do you like to spend Christmas?

ML : I try not to think about Christmas too much. I hate all that hype for the festive season starting in September! Crazy! 

We usually have a quiet time at home with the family – eating and drinking too much and watching lots of crap on the TV just like so many other people!!

http://flobberlob.blogspot.com/

http://laughingshed.blogspot.com/

© Mark Watkins / September 2019

[ibilenews]

Tony Allen: 'World's greatest drummer' and afrobeat pioneer dies

Pioneering Nigerian drummer Tony Allen, a co-founder of the afrobeat musical genre, died in Paris on Thursday aged 79, his manager says.

Eric Trosset told NPR radio that he had died of a heart attack. AFP said his death was not linked to coronavirus.

Allen was the drummer and musical director of musician Fela Kuti's famous band Africa '70 in the 1960-70s.

Fela, as he was widely known, died in 1997. He once said that "without Tony Allen, there would be no afrobeat".

Afrobeat combines elements of West Africa's fuji music and highlife styles with American funk and jazz.

World stars pay their tributes

Allen has also been described by UK musician Brian Eno as "perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived".

Trosset led tributes in a Facebook post saying "your eyes saw what most couldn't see... as you used to say: 'There is no end'".

Beninois singer Angelique Kidjo told the BBC's Newsday programme that she had been hit hard by both Allen's death and the passing of Cameroonian saxophone legend Manu Dibango in March.

"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," she said.

Bye bye Tony Allen, beautiful spirit and friend who has changed the history of African music. I was so lucky to work with you on my last 2 albums. Sending lots of love to his family and friends. @allencodrum

On Instagram, she said that Allen had "changed the history of African music".

Ghanaian rapper M.anifest tweeted that Allen "put the beat in afrobeat" and thanked him "for a lifetime of being quietly epic".

Flea, the bassist for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, who spent time with Allen in London, called him "one of the greatest drummers to ever walk this earth" and described him as his "hero".

"What a wildman, with a massive, kind and free heart and the deepest one-of-a-kind groove," Flea said on Instagram.

One of Fela's sons, musician Seun Kuti, tweeted "rest in power and journey well".

Who was Tony Allen?

Allen's career and life story were documented in his 2013 autobiography Tony Allen: Master Drummer of Afrobeat.

Allen, who was born in Lagos in 1940, taught himself how to play drums when he was 18.

He said he learnt his technique by listening closely to American jazz drummers Art Blakey and Max Roach. He then created the distinctive polyphonic rhythms of afrobeat and was said to be able to play four different beats with each of his limbs.

Allen first met Fela in 1964, and they went on to record dozens of albums in Africa '70, including Gentleman and Zombie.

Allen left the band in 1979, after reported rifts with the band leader over royalties. Fela needed four separate drummers to fill the void.

Allen emigrated to London in 1984, and later moved to Paris.

He collaborated with a number of artists during his long music career, and was the drummer in The Good, the Bad & the Queen, with Damon Albarn, Paul Simenon and Simon Tong.

An instantly recognisable sound

By Will Ross, former BBC Nigeria correspondent (and afrobeat aficionado)

There is a beautiful bounce to Tony Allen's drumming style that makes any track he played on instantly recognisable.

That's not to say he stood still. He was forever learning, forging new musical relationships and evolving his sound.

The combination of the bass, snare and hi-hat is uniquely Tony Allen-flavoured, whether you are listening to him as the driving force behind Fela Kuti's band in the 1970s, on his own hypnotic 1999 album Black Voices or playing live last year alongside Damon Albarn with The Good, The Bad and the Queen.

He once said Art Blakey must have been a magician because it sounded like more than one person was sitting behind the kit.

I recently got right up close to the stage to study the flow of Tony Allen's hands and feet. I was mesmerised by HIS magic.

He didn't seem to age much and looked set to keep drumming for many more years.

As he put it: "I'm looking forward to the future because it's a long, long way to go. There's no end. I'm very sure of that."

[ocioenlinea]

Clásicos Instantáneos: Egoli de Africa Express

En sus constantes 28 años de carrera musical  Damon Albarn se ha mostrado como un creador inconforme que gusta transformarse, aventurándose en distintos proyectos, todos ellos sin duda singulares. Así, de sus grandes días al frente de Blur, el londinense dio continuidad a su paso artístico creando  Gorillaz, proyecto que le permitió vincularse con una larga lista de talentos provenientes de diferentes estilos: Mick Jones (ex The Clash), Neneh Cherry,  Mos Def el veterano soulman ya fallecido Bobby Womack. por mencionar algunos, exhibiendo desde entonces su querencia por colaborar con otros, pulsión que lo acompaña hasta hoy.

        Inconforme para bien como suele serlo, Albarn inauguró posteriormente una obra más personal a modo de solista. De igual manera, fundó el cuarteto The Good The Bad and The Queen junto a Paul Simonon —otro ex The Clash—, Tony Allen —el percusionista del legendario Fela Kuti— y el guitarrista Simon Tong; pero también el trío Rocket Juice & The Moon, junto a Allen y Flea de los Red Hot Chili Peppers. Todo ello aunado a varios soundtracks de su autoría así como una importante serie de colaboraciones y aproximaciones a la música africana, que en suma lo afianzan como uno de los creadores más productivos de nuestro tiempo, responsable de una discografía impresionante. Es precisamente su elocuente interés por los sonidos del continente negro el que ha llevado a Albarn a su más reciente proyecto, un trabajo más firmado con el rubro Africa Express, mismo que diera inicio en 2013 a uno más de sus muchos intereses: crear sinergias interculturales entre ingleses, estadounidenses y africanos.

Actualidad

Egoli es el nombre del nuevo material de Albarn, una obra que exprimió al máximo las posibilidades que le significaron asentarse por unas semanas en Johannesburgo,, a comienzos de 2019, para convocar a distintos talentos de la escena sudafricana, llevando él como aliados a Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) y Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs).

        Egoli comprende 18 tracks, realizados en imprevisibles colaboraciones, para dar como resultado una obra colorida llena de improntas que, como aseverara el diario The Guardian, está tejida “en igualdad de condiciones”, a través de fusiones que fluctúan de los ecos de la obra de Albarn a lo enteramente africano. “Johannesburg” por ejemplo, con la voz de Rhys al frente, se inclina más hacia un rock de suaves texturas con acentos afro. a diferencia por ejemplo de “Africa To The World”, marcada más por percusión y voces evocadoras de los sonidos tribales del continente.

        Lo más redituable de Egoli, además de ofrecer canciones que se disfrutan de principio a fin, es acercar al escucha a una escena sudafricana representada en parte por veteranos como las célebres Mahotella Queens, pero que sobre todo nos acerca a una joven generación. Destaca la participación de Moonchild Sanelly, la cantante que aporta frescura y novedad a varios de los tracks más logrados del disco, como el reflexivo “Where Will This Lead Us To?”, el pujante e infeccioso “Sizi Freaks” o el sonoramente contemporáneo (autotune incluido) “No Games”. Una voz dinámica que también ofrece ser escuchada a través de su propia obra, tanto o más redituable que sus apariciones junto a Albarn, con quien canta a dúo la penúltima del álbum, la rítmica “I Can’t Move”.

        En ese sentido, Albarn acierta no sólo al entregarnos otra lograda expedición musical sino, a su vez, con sensibilidad a toda prueba y una humildad ejemplar, alineando los reflectores hacia las figuras de la escena sudafricana que lo merecen.

Enrique Blanc. No.1142. 020819

[netbuzzafrica]

Manifest's B.E.A.R song used as soundtrack in NBA TV's documentary

Manifest’s B.E.A.R song used as soundtrack in NBA TV’s documentary

Rapper M.anifest is rounding 2017 on a good note even though less was heard about his Christmas concert.

Described as “the foremost rapper on the continent,” in 2015 by the Guardian (UK),  M.anifest’s originality and impressive lyricism has earned him collaborations with musical giants such as Tony Allen, Damon Albarn, Flea (Red hot Chili Peppers), Erykah Badu, Femi Kuti, A.B Crentsil and more.

H…