Tony Allen, former drummer to legendary Fela Kuti will be featured alongside the Chicago Afrobeat Project at the Cedar on July 26, 2013 as the closing act to the 2013 "African Summer" music series. Photo: Courtesy Chicago Afrobeat Project
Tony Allen 600x400
Tony Allen
Tony Allen, former drummer to legendary Fela Kuti will be featured alongside the Chicago Afrobeat Project at the Cedar on July 26, 2013 as the closing act to the 2013 "African Summer" music series. Photo: Courtesy Chicago Afrobeat Project
Chicago Afrobeat Project900w
Chiacgo Afrobeat Project which will feature Tony Allen, drummer to the legendary Fela Kuti, will close out the 2013 "African Summer" concert series at the Cedar in Minneapolis on July 26. Photo: Courtesy Chicago Afrobeat Project

The former drummer to the legenadary Fela Kuti will be part of the closing concert to this year’s succesful ‘African Summer’ series at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneaopolis.

After the “African Summer” concludes on July 26, Twin Citians would have attended over six concerts of some Africa’s top bands including Fela Kuti’s own son, Femi Kuti, who performed at a packed Cedar on June 28. The annual series this year kicked off on June 11 although another top African act, Fatoumata Diawara, performed there in April as a warm up to the series.

The July 26 concert to close out the “African Summer” will bring the Chicago Afrobeat Project, currently considered Chicago’s hottest Afrobeat band. The band will pair up with Tony Allen, widely considered as influential in the music made famous by the late Fela Kuti, who came up with the name. Afrobeat combines Yoruba music with elements of jazz, highlife and funk interspersed with vocals.

The Lagos-born Tony Allen(officially Tony Oladipo Allen) was the drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti’s band Africa 70 from 1968 to 1979.

The Chicago Afrobeat Project which will feature Tony Allen on July 26 has risen among Afrobeat groups after emerging as one of the first nationally touring American bands to take the sound to the masses. Over the years the band has mastered a sound that successfully weaves the uniqueness of the Chicago music scene with a distinct western-influenced Nigerian style of music.

Last year the band released its fourth album “Nyash Up!”.

Chicago Afrobeat Project featuring Tony Allen with Black Market Brass
@ Cedar Cultural Center – Minneapolis
Friday, July 26, 2013 – 8:00pm
Doors Open: 7:00pm
Advance: $25.00
Day of show: $30.00
Standing show (open dance floor)
Ticket Purchase: Online here.

Mshale Logo 03252014

About Mshale Staff

The byline “By Mshale Staff” is used for stories that involve limited or no original reporting by our newsroom. These stories are often based on press releases or information provided by official sources, including corporations, government agencies and public institutions. The byline also may be used for reports compiled from multiple contributors, wire services, previously published material or aggregated sources when listing individual authors is impractical. Outside sources are generally identified within the story.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
loadingLoading...