Film Of Life

For his tenth album, the human metronome of afrobeat has pulled out all the stops. At his side are The Jazzbastards, a trio of producers at the cutting edge of contemporary sound, and fellow world-class musicians, including Damon Albarn, who continues to build pioneering bridges between Africa and today’s music scene. Tony Allen has given us an album equal to his legendary reputation, an overview of his rich and exemplary career that brings together bebop, afrobeat jazz and psychedelic pop. For the wizard of Lagos, 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.

Film of Life doesn’t break new ground for influential drummer Tony Allen, but it does offer a solid and succinct demonstration of Afrobeat’s adaptability to changing times. Allen's longtime collaborator Damon Albarn guests.

The legendary drummer and Afrobeat originator returns with an album that excels in placing his polyrhythmic splendour in fresh settings.

Tony Allen, Fela Kuti's drumming counterpart in the creation of Afrobeat, has been quite active in the 21st century, recording with Charlotte Gainsbourg, Zap Mama, and in supergroups the Good, the Bad & the Queen and Rocket Juice & the Moon.

For a man in his mid-'70s, Tony Allen still has a hell of a lot of reach. In recent years, the legendary Nigerian sticksman-once hailed as the best drummer in the world by Brian Eno-has imparted his Afrobeat influence over artists as diverse as Sébastien