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Entertainment of Saturday, 2 May 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Tony Allen 'was an enigma' - Seun Kuti pays tribute

Late Tony Allen Late Tony Allen

Afrobeats singer, Seun Kuti, son of late legendary musician Fela Kuti, has paid tribute to the late Tony Allen.

Allen, described as "perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived", died at the age of 79 on Thursday in Paris, according to his manager.

He co-founded of the Afrobeat musical genre, alongside Seun's father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and part of his (Kuti) Africa 70 band who made the Gentleman (1973), Expensive Shit (1975), and Zombie (1976) albums with Fela.

A statement on his official Instagram account reads:

"Waking up to the most disastrous news. First Uncle Manu now Uncle Tony. These 2 men played together with me in my coming out concert in Dakar in 2004. Uncle Tony was always available to me and even tho we had our differences, there was never anything but love and respect.

"Uncle Tony was an enigma. A pure artist and fierce competitor (in his own way)! I love and miss u baba. Rest In Peace. #getthesax."

“We don’t know the exact cause of death,” his manager Eric Trosset told France 24. “He was in great shape; it was quite sudden. I spoke to him at 1 p.m., then two hours later he was sick and taken to Pompidou hospital where he died.”