tony allen & hugh masakela

Biography

Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela represents a historic collaboration between two legendary African musicians who first met in Lagos, Nigeria in the early 1970s through their mutual association with Fela Kuti. Tony Allen, born in Lagos in 1940, became the drummer and musical director for Fela Anikulapo Kuti's Africa 70 band, earning his reputation as the co-founder of Afrobeat and a pioneer in incorporating high-hat cymbals into Nigerian drumming, influenced by American jazz drummers Art Blakey and Max Roach. Hugh Masekela, the South African trumpeter and flugelhorn master, was a jazz virtuoso who fled apartheid South Africa in 1960 and became an international star, performing at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and collaborating with artists like The Byrds and Paul Simon. The two musicians discussed collaborating as early as 1973-1984, but the opportunity didn't materialize until 2010 when their touring schedules coincided in London, where producer Nick Gold facilitated recording sessions that would lay the foundation for their eventual album.

The album 'Rejoice' emerged from a decades-long friendship and artistic vision that finally came to fruition in an unconventional way. Initial sessions recorded in 2010 remained unfinished and archived until Hugh Masekela's death from prostate cancer on January 23, 2018. With renewed determination and the blessing of Masekela's estate, Tony Allen and Nick Gold revisited the original tapes in summer 2019 at the same London studio, adding finishing touches including keyboard, percussion, and vocal overdubs that both musicians had discussed. Released on March 20, 2020 by World Circuit Records, 'Rejoice' became both Masekela's first posthumous release and Tony Allen's final studio album before his death on April 30, 2020, just over a month later.

The album represents what Allen described as 'a kind of South African-Nigerian swing-jazz stew' with roots firmly in Afrobeat, featuring eight original compositions by the pair. The spacious, uncluttered sound centers on drums, flugelhorn, and bass, with contributions from a new generation of respected European jazz musicians including keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones, vibraphonist Lewis Wright, bassists Tom Herbert and Mutale Chashi, saxophonist Steve Williamson, and percussionist Lekan Babalola. Standout tracks include 'Never (Lagos Never Gonna Be the Same),' a tribute to Fela Kuti that showcases Masekela's mournful vocals reflecting on changes in Lagos, and 'Jabulani (Rejoice, Here Comes Tony),' where Masekela chants a praise-song in Zulu for his colleague. The album stands as a testament to the enduring friendship and artistic synergy between two free-flowing souls for whom musical borders were things to pass through or ignore completely.

Fun Facts

• The idea for the Rejoice collaboration was conceived as early as 1973-1984 when Allen and Masekela first met in Lagos, but the album took nearly 40 years to materialize due to conflicting touring schedules and other commitments.
• Rejoice became a bittersweet historical document: it was Hugh Masekela's first posthumous release and Tony Allen's final studio album, released just over a month before Allen's death on April 30, 2020.
• The album was completed in summer 2019 at the exact same London studio where the original 2010 sessions had taken place, creating a poignant full-circle moment for the project.
• On the track 'Jabulani (Rejoice, Here Comes Tony),' Hugh Masekela chants a praise-song in Zulu for Tony Allen, singing 'Be happy, here is Tony / Playing the drums / He is hitting them hard / He is cooking!' - a tribute to his longtime friend's drumming prowess.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Fela Anikulapo Kuti - Tony Allen served as drummer and musical director for Fela's Africa 70 band; both musicians had close associations with Fela and met through him in the early 1970s (Africa 70 band, Afrobeat movement) [1970s-1980s]
• Art Blakey - Major influence on Tony Allen's drumming style, particularly his use of high-hat cymbals (Drumming technique and approach) [1960s onwards]
• Max Roach - Major influence on Tony Allen's drumming style and approach to percussion (Drumming technique and approach) [1960s onwards]

Key Collaborators

• Nick Gold - Producer who facilitated the 2010 recording sessions and later completed the album in 2019 (Rejoice album production) [2010, 2019]
• Joe Armon-Jones - Keyboardist who contributed to the finished Rejoice album (Rejoice (2020)) [2019-2020]
• Tom Herbert - Bassist who contributed to the finished Rejoice album (Rejoice (2020)) [2019-2020]
• Mutale Chashi - Bassist and percussionist who contributed to the finished Rejoice album (Rejoice (2020)) [2019-2020]
• Steve Williamson - Tenor saxophonist who contributed to the finished Rejoice album (Rejoice (2020)) [2019-2020]
• Lewis Wright - Vibraphonist who contributed to the finished Rejoice album (Rejoice (2020)) [2019-2020]

Discography

Top Tracks

1. No Discrimination (Nigeria 70 - Funky Lagos)
2. No Discrimination (Nigeria 70 - Funky Lagos)
3. No Discrimination (Nigeria 70 - Funky Lagos)
4. No Discrimination (Nigeria 70 - Funky Lagos)
5. No Discrimination (Nigeria 70 Vol. 1)
6. No Discrimination (Nigeria 70 - Funky Lagos)
7. No Discrimination (Nigeria 70 Vol. 1)
8. No Discrimination (Nigeria 70 - Funky Lagos)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia