Femi Kuti, son of Afrobeats legend Fela Kuti, has publicly refuted claims that late drummer Tony Allen co-pioneered the genre with his father, asserting Fela was the sole creator of his music

Femi Kuti, a renowned Afrobeats artist and son of the late genre pioneer Fela Kuti, has strongly contested the widely held notion that the legendary drummer Tony Allen was a co-pioneer of Afrobeats alongside his father.

Also read: Seun Kuti clarifies stance on colonialism

Tony Allen, who served as Fela Kuti’s lead drummer and music director, has been widely credited by both Nigerian and international media as a key figure in the creation of Afrobeats.

However, in a recent video message shared on his social media platforms, Femi Kuti vehemently dismissed these claims, asserting that neither Allen nor anyone else contributed to the fundamental elements of Fela’s music.

Femi Kuti argued that Fela Kuti, a multi-instrumentalist and composer with formal music training, meticulously crafted every aspect of his compositions, including the drum patterns, which he then taught to his instrumentalists, including Tony Allen.

“My father was a multi-instrumentalist and composer. He studied music. He knows every single part of his instrument. You probably have read that they said he said, ‘Without Tony Allen, there is no Afrobeat.’ That is the biggest bullshit ever said about my father. It is such a big lie,” Femi Kuti stated emphatically.

He further claimed, “They tried to sell Tony Allen so they decided to lie. Yes, he was a good drummer but Fela taught him his style of drums. Fela came up with all his drum patterns.

We saw it. I was a child, a teenager, a man, we saw Fela do it. Fela wrote all his patterns. I keep telling them, why didn’t Tony Allen tell us which songs he did for Fela? He couldn’t because there was no song that Fela asked him to put the drum pattern for him. It is impossible.”

Femi Kuti explained that Fela Kuti entered a deep creative state while composing, during which no one could offer input. Those around him were expected to remain quiet and follow his musical instructions.

Addressing claims that Fela himself credited Allen as a co-pioneer, Femi Kuti challenged those making such assertions to provide evidence. “So, I asked those saying Fela credited Allen for Afrobeat where he did and they can’t produce it.

There is no article, recording or footage from any interview to prove it. It is impossible that Fela would make such a statement and there is no copy anywhere.”

Femi Kuti’s strong rebuttal is likely to ignite further discussion and debate regarding the origins and co-creators of the iconic Afrobeats genre.