Celebrating their many years of collaborating, Damon Albarn's Gorrilaz has paid tribute to the late Tony Allen, the Nigerian-born drummer extraordinaire who worked closely with Fela Kuti to form the influential afrobeat sound in the late 1960s, with their new single "How Far?" featuring Skepta (and Allen).
The grime MC, whose background is also Nigerian, takes centre stage here with his slow-paced bars as the mind of Albarn pieces the orchestral-meets-boom-bap instrumentation together with Allen's spirtual drum work. With the track being written and recorded in London just before the current coronavirus lockdown, it has been shared immediately as a way to remember Tony Allen as one of the brightest and most talented drummers the world has ever seen.
Tony Allen, whose influence can be felt all over today's vibrant Afrobeats scene, passed away at the age of 79 from an aortic aneurysm on April 30.
May he rest in peace.
