![Album Review: Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela – Rejoice [World Circuit Records; March 2020]](http://www.rhythmpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/allen-masekela-rejoice-335x335.jpg)
With the very recent passing of Tony Allen, this set of recordings has special significance. He and South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela had been planning on making a record together for years and in 2010 this finally was about to become a reality. Producer Nick Gold got the two titans...
Tag Archives: Tony Allen
Tributes and homages to artists who recently passed away often sound trivial or trite if done by someone who wasn’t directly connected with them. That’s why we always repeat the mantra that we prefer to let the music do the talking and ask fellow musicians, who grew up and/or shared...
I will always remember Oghene Kologbo saying “Fela is the afro, Tony is the beat”. Last Thursday, on International Day of Jazz, the beat left us. But let us not forget, master never die! Looking back at Tony Allen‘s career is not possible in a one-hour podcast, we’d need 10...
There are only a bunch of musicians who can claim to embody the history and evolution of a music style. Bukky Leo is part of this restricted club. His career and possibly life are indeed manifestations of afrobeat. So much so that, if you’d like to approach the quintessential Nigerian...
Newen Afrobeat are from Chile rather than Lagos, but are proof that afrobeat has become a global music to address injustice. Formed in Chile in 2009, Newen translates as ‘strength’ in the indigenous (and marginalised) Mapuche language, and the seven songs that make up the collective’s third album Curiche speak up...
![Album Review: Nubiyan Twist – Jungle Run [Strut Records; February 2019]](http://www.rhythmpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/nubiyantwistjungleruncover-335x335.jpg)
Jazz has many different guises and, within those guises, a further plethora of textures. It’s one of the traits that sets it apart from other genres, classical music excepted. In the ongoing revival and reinvention of jazz within these shores, there is clearly a surfeit of talent. Nestled in amongst...
If you have attended any of the previous Africa Express shows, you know they never disappoint your thirst for music. For hours and hours, they stun you with a deluge of quality acts and unexpected collaborations, not only featuring the exceptional artistry of the musicians involved but also their welcoming...
Don’t call him a drummer. Despite being one of the best on the music scene and still “setting the tempo” for generations of musicians who look at funk, jazz, beat (with the ‘afro’ prefix in front of them), Tony Allen doesn’t fully agree when you define him as a drummer....
Preview: Walthamstow Jazz Festival @ Walthamstow Assembly Hall (London; Saturday 16th February 2019)
Looking to indulge us further in the current jazz scene revelry, Byrd Out and Waltham Forest Council will by debuting the very first Walthamstow Jazz Festival. Set in the iconic arts venue of Walthamstow Assembly Hall, the event will have two stages and will host both live performances and DJ...
Event Review: Africa Now @ OGR (Turin, Italy; Saturday 22nd September to Thursday 18th October 2018)
In recent years, Turin has gained quite a reputation in the music world for its electronic/dance-oriented scene, being the host city of Italy’s largest electronic music festival, Club to Club. Nevertheless, the city has much more to offer, with new upcoming events and festivals popping up year after year. One of them is...
