Late Fela Kuti’s manager, Rikki Stein, has written to correct the impression people have about the afrobeats genre
Stein maintained that while the recently deceased Tony Allen played a huge role in his days with Fela, he was not a co-creator of the genre
The writer maintained that it should be a credit only ascribed to the late Fela Kuti
A close friend and manager of late Fela Anikulapo Kuti identified as Rikki Stein has come out to defend the legacy of the celebrated music icon years after his passing.
Stein in an exclusive piece for Okay Africa wrote to correct the impression that recent media reports have passed as regards the input of the late Tony Allen in championing the afrobeats genre of music.
In the opening paragraph of his piece, Stein commended the genius of the late Allen and noted how Fela would have praised him as the best drummer he had ever known in their 14 years of working together.
However, the crux of Stein’s piece was anchored in the recent misrepresentation that had been given to the afrobeats genre in the event of Allen’s passing. He noted how the deceased drummer is being given the credit of a co-creator of afrobeat even when he never made such claims when he was alive.
“Tony was a good friend of mine for many years, for whom I have infinite respect and affection, both as a human being and consummately gifted musician. I never heard him making such a claim for himself and feel that he would have found such a description of his relationship with Fela both embarrassing and inaccurate,” Stein wrote.
He went on to recount Allen’s significant contributions as a drummer who worked on about 40 albums with the late Fela. According to Stein, he could not help but agree when musician, Brian Eno, described Allen as the world’s greatest drummer.