Antibalas with guest star Tony Allen On drums - Live @ Jazz à la Vilette...

Alagbon Close




Tony Allen the legendary Africa 70 drummer shows the current crop of Afro-Beat musicians how it's done.

A composer/arranger in his own right. The "Doctor of Drums" as we called him back in the day, shows here why Fela Kuti's music had such power.

Featuring here with Antibalas at Jazz Villette to a full house. Tony Allen shows that he hasn't lost any of his chops.

The song Alagbon Close was composed by Fela Kuti to reflect his experience at the hands of the authorities when he was locked up at the notorious Alagbon Close detention cells, in Ikoyi Lagos.

In later years, a lot of the second republic politicians in Nigeria will suffer the same fate. Bad treatment, mental torture and a disregard for the judicial process was routine at Alagbon Close, they too discovered, to their chagrin, after the military staged a coup and locked some of them up there as well.

One of the cells at Alagbon Close was called Kalakuta and Fela found himself incarcerated here. 

When he was eventually released, Fela named his own compound The Kalakuta Republic, denounced Alagbon in a song (See Video clip). This probably inevitably  caused further friction and bad blood with those in power.

Fela Kuti after every release from police custody, would give a satirical blow by blow account of his experience under lock and key. A brilliant storyteller, this usually added further fizz to nights of glorious music.

Tony Allen also had his own core of fans at the Shrine. And many knew, he was the man who put the beat into Afro-Beat.

Stay safe!

And enjoy the music.

'Bodederek


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