Femi Kuti Rejects Claims Tony Allen Co-Created Afrobeat with Fela
Afrobeat star Femi Kuti has firmly dismissed claims that legendary drummer Tony Allen co-pioneered Afrobeat alongside his father, Fela Kuti.
In a video shared on his social media page, Femi insisted that while Allen was a talented drummer, he did not invent the genre or contribute creatively to Fela’s musical direction. According to Femi, his father singlehandedly developed Afrobeat and meticulously crafted all instrumental parts, including the drum patterns Allen became famous for.
“My father was a multi-instrumentalist and composer. He studied music and understood every instrument. He taught Tony Allen his drum style,” Femi said.
He described the widespread belief that Fela once credited Allen as a co-creator of Afrobeat as “the biggest lie ever told” about his father. Femi argued that no evidence – whether articles, recordings, or interview footage – exists to support the claim that Fela acknowledged Allen in that way.
Femi further explained that when Fela composed music, he would enter a deep, almost trance-like state where no one was allowed to interfere or make creative contributions.
“They said Tony Allen created drum patterns for Fela, but that’s not true. Fela wrote everything. If Tony Allen had contributed, he would have said which songs he worked on, but he never did because it didn’t happen,” Femi maintained.
Tony Allen, who served as Fela’s lead drummer and musical director in the early days of Afrobeat, has often been credited internationally as a major figure in shaping the genre. However, Femi Kuti’s latest comments challenge that narrative, reigniting debates about the origins of one of Africa’s most influential musical movements.
