JVmusic BIO2014 Tony Allen

 Short Biography – Tony Allen “Rhythm is the most perceptible and the least material thing in the world,” wrote John Miller Chernoff in his book, African Rhythm and African Sensibility. It has been thirty years since this observation inspired Brian Eno and David Byrne to revise their approach to music but if African rhythms began to alter the course of Western pop music, it is above all down to Tony Allen. He embodies the vitality of those rhythms, placing them at the cutting edge of modern music and over his fifty-­‐year career has made himself a benchmark for musicians worldwide. Now his tenth album, Film of Life, looks back on this amazing adventure whilst continuing to explore new horizons… Born in Lagos in 1940, Tony Oladipo Allen is an autodidact, a drummer who invented his technique by listening to Art Blakey and Max Roach. In the mid-­‐1960s, his meeting with Fela Kuti was to forever change his destiny, which took on epic proportions with the invention of afrobeat, where the rhythmic patterns of Yoruba meet instrumental funk and Pan-­‐African slogans. The collaboration of these two musical giants would last fifteen years. Tony the human metronome then made the most of his newfound freedom to add to his afrobeat roots with everything from dub to pop. Since his first encounter with Damon Albarn, he has been a member of the groups The Good, The Bad and The Queen and Rocket Juice and the Moon, projects both led by the Blur singer. Very much in demand, he recently worked with such diverse artists as Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sébastien Tellier and Joe Lovano. At a time when afrobeat, like reggae, is becoming part of the globalised music scene, Film of Life travels back through an exemplary musical life. Along with the trio of French producers The Jazzbastards and a cast of world-­‐class musicians, the master drummer confirms his powers of reinvention and gives us an album that brings together groove, jazz and psychedelic pop. For Tony Allen, who has always thought of his drums “as an orchestra” and who likes “to make them sing”, Film of Life marks the pinnacle of his achievement. Tony Allen BIO courte (Jazzvillagemusic.com)
Le rythme, cʼest ce quʼil y a à la fois de plus perceptible et de plus abstrait au monde,
écrit John Miller Chernoff dans son livre African Rhythm & African Sensibility. Il y a une
trentaine dʼannées, si ce constat incitait Brian Eno et David Byrne à revoir leur approche
de la musique, cʼest surtout grâce à Tony Allen que les rythmes africains se sont mis à
changer la pop occidentale. Il incarne leur vitalité, il les a soumis aux expériences les
plus modernes, et en cinquante ans de carrière il s'est hissé au rang de référence
universelle. Aujourdʼhui Film For Life, son dixième album, porte un regard sur cette
fabuleuse aventure tout en scrutant de nouveaux horizons...
Né en 1940 à Lagos, Tony Allen est batteur autodidacte qui a forgé sa technique en
écoutant Art Blakey et Max Roach. Au milieu des sixties, sa rencontre avec Fela change
son destin et prend une tournure épique avec l'avènement de l'afrobeat, style
révolutionnaire où se croisent rythmes yoruba, approche funk et slogans
panafricanistes. La complicité des deux géants durera quinze ans. Ensuite, Tony le
métronome humain cumulera sa fidélité afrobeat avec une émancipation qui passera par
le dub et la pop. Depuis sa rencontre avec Damon Albarn, il a fait partie des groupes
The Good The Bad and The Queen et Rocket Juice and the Moon, deux
projets conduits par le chanteur de Blur. Très sollicité, il a récemment accompagné des
artistes aussi différents que Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sébastien Tellier et Joe Lovano.
À lʼheure où lʼafrobeat, comme le reggae, devient une musique globalisée, Film of Life
remonte le cours de cette vie musicale exemplaire. Avec le trio de producteurs français
The Jazzbastards et un casting haut de gamme, le batteur leader prouve sa puissance
de réinvention et livre un album qui brasse groove, jazz et pop psyché. Pour Tony Allen,
l'horloger du rythme qui a toujours pensé sa batterie comme un orchestre et qui aime la
faire chanter, Film Of Life est un aboutissement.