With his posthumous album, There Is No End, the legendary Afrobeat drummer continues to inject rhythms into our lives exactly one year after his passing.
On April 30, 2020, Tony Allen left us. This former Africa 70 drummer played alongside Fela Kuti, who said of him: “Without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat.” These two legends toured the United States together during the civil rights movement in the 1960s, which had a profound effect on their music. His posthumous album, There Is No End, aims to respect one Allen’s last wishes: the 79 year old wanted to highlight the new generation of artists, especially in hip hop.
As such, the Zambian rapper Sampa The Great features on a new video from the album, entitled “Stumbling Down.” She received four Grammys in Australia for her 2019 album The Return. Regarding the legendary drummer, she said “Tony was involved in changing the way African music was heard and felt, and he constantly inspired me to learn and develop my music.” In this new video, the poetess stands like a queen of African rap, sitting high on her throne. A swirl of colors envelops her image, and a great aura shines through. This is contrasted with the notion that she is expected to “fall” with the fact that she in fact “shines.” It marks a clear message to all youth, urging them, like Tony Allen, to express themselves freely in their art.
The album There Is No End will be released on April 30, 2021.
Listen to Sampa The Great in our Songs of the Week playlist on Spotify and Deezer.
