Photo: Brett Rubin & Bernard Benant

Fela Kuti drummer and Afrobeat founder Tony Allen and South African legendary trumpeter and political activist Hugh Masekela wanted to make an album together for a long time. In 2010 they toured the UK at the same time and producer Nick Gold (Buena Vista Social Club) seized the opportunity to record their original compositions. The recording sessions were unfinished when Masekela passed away in 2018 but intent on bringing this collaboration to life, Allen and Gold finished recording the album last summer with the help of Tom Herbert (Acoustic Ladyland, The Invisible), Joe Armon-Jones (Ezra Collective), Mutale Chashi (Kokoroko) and Steve Williamson. Finally earlier this year year, Allen and Masekela’s collaborative album, Rejoice, was released before Allen’s passing last April. British electronic composer Matthew Herbert, as a tribute to Allen, has given the remix treatment to the closing track ‘We’ve Landed’. He comments:

“It was already a tough brief to remix two such important and wonderful musicians. Before Tony died I was trying my best to make it upbeat and celebratory. But after his sudden passing, all I could hear was his absence. I started on the night I heard the sad news. The mix is in memory of Tony, an inspiring and generous musician.”

Take a listen below.

Rejoice is out now via World Circuit Records