Femi Kuti Rejects Claims of Tony Allen Co-Creating Afrobeats with Fela

Afrobeat musician Femi Kuti has publicly rejected long-standing claims that the late drummer Tony Allen co-created the genre alongside his father, the iconic Fela Kuti.

Allen, who served as Fela’s lead drummer and musical director during the formative years of Afrobeat, has often been credited, both locally and internationally, as a co-architect of the sound. However, in a video message shared on social media, Femi Kuti firmly contested that narrative.

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According to the multiple Grammy-nominated artist, while Allen was a key collaborator, the genre’s creative vision belonged solely to Fela. He described his father as a meticulous composer and multi-instrumentalist who not only studied music formally but also instructed each of his band members, including Allen, on their parts.

Femi maintained that Fela’s control over the musical process was absolute, and that the notion of co-authorship diminishes the late pioneer’s singular contribution to the birth of Afrobeat.