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Drumming for legends with Tony Allen, Billy Cobham, Femi Koleoso and Dele Sosimi

Femi Koleoso of Ezra Collective and Dele Sosimi, from Fela Kuti's band Egypt 80, are joined by two of the greatest drummers of all time, Billy Cobham and Tony Allen.

Ezra Collective drummer Femi Koleoso and Dele Sosimi of Fela Kuti's Egypt 80 are joined on Music Life by two of the greatest drummers of all time: Billy Cobham and Tony Allen.

Billy Cobham is a Panamanian-American jazz drummer who played with Miles Davis in the 60s and 70s, before forming the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He's gone on to play with Peter Gabriel, Quincy Jones, James Brown and many more.

Nigeria's Tony Allen was once described by Brian Eno as "perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived". With his band mate Fela Kuti, he founded the Afrobeat sound - as Fela once said, "Without Tony, there would be no Afrobeat".

Dele Sosimi is a Nigerian-British musician who also played with Fela Kuti, playing keyboards in his Egypt 80 band, before forming Positive Force with his son Femi Kuti.

Femi Koleoso gets to put questions to his musical heroes, those who have done a great deal to inspire his work with Jorja Smith, Loyle Carner and London jazz group Ezra Collective.

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24 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Sat 1 Feb 2020 12:06GMT
  • Sun 2 Feb 2020 20:06GMT

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