Afrobeat icon and multiple Grammy-nominated musician, Femi Kuti, has strongly dismissed claims that the late legendary drummer Tony Allen co-pioneered the iconic Afrobeats genre with his father, Fela Kuti.
Tony Allen, who served as Fela’s lead drummer and music director during the formative years of Afrobeat, has long been celebrated in both local and international circles as a co-founder of the genre. However, Femi Kuti, who witnessed the rise of Afrobeat firsthand, is not having any of it.
In a video message recently shared on his official social media page, Femi made bold statements refuting what he described as a widespread misconception. He insists that no one, Allen included, contributed to Fela’s musical innovation.
According to Femi, his father was a musical genius who needed no one’s help in crafting the Afrobeat sound. “My father was a multi-instrumentalist and composer. He studied music. He knows every single part of his instrument. You probably have read that they said he said, ‘Without Tony Allen, there is no Afrobeat.’ That is the biggest bullsh*t ever said about my father. It is such a big lie,” he declared.
Femi argued that Allen’s contribution has been exaggerated, claiming Fela actually taught him his drumming style. “Yes, he was a good drummer but Fela taught him his style of drums. Fela came up with all his drum patterns. We saw it.”
He added that his father’s composition process was highly spiritual and meticulous. “When Fela was writing, no one could make any inputs because he goes into trance while making music. Everyone around him must maintain calmness and listen to his composition and instructions.”
Femi challenged anyone to produce concrete evidence that Fela ever credited Tony Allen as a co-creator of Afrobeat. “So, I asked those saying Fela credited Allen for Afrobeat where he did and they can’t produce it. There is no article, recording or footage from any interview to prove it.”
The statement has reignited debate among Afrobeat historians and fans over the true origins of the genre, with Femi Kuti standing firm on his account as an eyewitness to history.
