What’s in Your Luggage continues with another round of interviews with your favorite global artists, and this time we’re getting a little down and funky with Afrobeat pioneer and legendary drummer, Tony Allen.
PHOTO Tony AllenHailing from the Nigerian capital, Lagos, Tony Allen is quite familiar with the international limelight. After developing the Afrobeat genre, a mix of Nigerian and Ghanaian music, jazz, highlife, funk, and chant like vocals with an assortment of percussion and vocal styles, in Africa during the 70s, Allen and his original group, Nigeria, traveled the world. They made it all the way to the U.S. where they showed off their unique sound, showing that music – a language in its own right – transcends all boundaries, geographic and cultural.
Now going into his 56th year as a musician, Allen has collaborated with countless artists for his highly recognizable works that include Flea, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Erykah Badu, and Damon Albarn (once part of the Gorillaz) all for his 2009 album, Rocket Juice & the Moon. With such a talent for bringing artists from all corners of the world together, Allen is truly a global music leader. Now, we find out what how his travel styles ties into an original creative process.
JST: Do you record on the road or back home?
TA: I usually do record at home in Paris at some of my musicians’ studios. However, I have made once on tour an album. It was in the U.S. in 2000 during my album tour Black Voices.
The album Psycho On Da Bus, produced by Doctor L, came that tour.
PHOTO Tony AllenJST: What’s your favorite place to cut a record?
TA: In studio with my full drum kit and mic. set up and engineers.
JST: How has travel influenced your creative process?
TA: I have always been traveling since day one – meeting different cultures and people is part of my creative process.
JST: When do you get into your creative zone?
TA: Night-time when everybody is sleeping.
JST: What’s the most memorable place you played at?
TA: So many… but I would say Brazil Virada cultural in 2012 center of Sao Paulo with an 250, 000 audience. People dancing traditional Yoruba dance, and Brooklyn bam in 2011, our door during the summer, different class of people from Hip hop audience to old ladies wearing Obama t-shirts dancing front of me.
JST: Are you an over-packer or minimalist?
TA: Quite a minimalist according to the airport security issues, my sticks can’t be left behind.
PHOTO Tony AllenJST: What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve ever packed in your luggage?
TA: Dry and smoked fishes from Nigeria.
JST: What do you take with you to stay sane on long flights?
TA: I drink my whisky on the plane.
JST: What’s on your current travel playlist?
TA: Various selection of music from modern Afro to Hip hops to Electronic.
JST: Book you’re currently reading?
TA: At present time, more into newspapers and magazines.
JST: Any superstitious or idiosyncratic items you always have to bring with you?
TA: A golden cross.
JST: What is your go-to flight snack item?
TA: I am not keen of snacks and sandwiches…
Check out Tony Allen’s most recent album Film of Life.
Article written by Guadalupe Gonzalez.
