From Lagos to Bogotá — La BOA's Dialogue with Tony Allen

As La BOA meets Tony Allen begins to pulse and shuffle through my speakers, I'm reminded of Colombia’s inextricably deep ties with the African continent. This latest album by La BOA (Bogotá Orquesta Afrobeat), released by the Parisian imprint Comet Records, is more than a testament to this transatlantic lasso. Rather than creating renditions and interpretations of Afrobeat music, quintessentially African in origin, the ten-piece band from the lofty Colombian capital instead went straight to the source.

Led by Daniel Michel, member and producer of the band, and working closely with Eric Trosset, head of Comet, La BOA recorded these nine songs utilizing recordings by the late Tony Allen, the legendary drummer considered one of Afrobeat's founding fathers. These recordings were captured in 2011 as a part of the Afrobeat Makers Series, and they serve as the foundation for all of the songs on this new album. In essence, this is a posthumous collaboration with the Nigerian master of drumming, but not an unexpected one given Allen's penchant for unconventional partnerships.

La BOA (Bogotá Orquesta Afrobeat), photo by Sebastián Galarza

From the bustling streets of Lagos, Nigeria, to the vibrant capital city of Bogotá, Colombia, this release is a potent statement that advances and expands the reach of Afrobeat music halfway across the globe. It is a cadent dialogue, a give-and-take between Colombia's rich and varied rhythms and Allen's inimitable groove. Featuring N. Hardem, the celebrated emcee from Bogotá, and Bejuco, from the Pacific Coast of the country, it is a long-awaited chapter in La BOA's musical trajectory and their celebration of the many identities rhythm can take on.

When Tony Allen stated, "I'm looking forward to the future because it's a long, long way to go. There's no end ..." it's as if he understood the weight of his enduring legacy and his infinite influence resounding in so much of today's contemporary music. In La BOA meets Tony Allen, we encounter a strand that reinforces Africa's imprint on Colombia while enriching and forever transforming the beautifully intricate patterns and complex sounds that emanate from this radiant corner of South America.

In this interview, La BOA's Daniel Michel discusses the seed of this project, the process of recording the album, and the challenging honor of 'working' with Tony Allen after his passing.

Miguel Bustamante: For this album, LA BOA received actual recordings of Tony Allen's drumming to be used as a foundational element in many of the songs. Can you elaborate on how you met Eric Trosset, head of Comet Records and custodian of Tony Allen's recordings? In what format did you eventually receive the original recordings by Allen?

Daniel Michel: We met Eric thanks to a mutual friend from the Ark agency who put us in contact, and we met in New York at the beginning of 2024. We had a coffee and he told us about these recordings that Tony left. He sent me the sessions where the drum channels were very well recorded, and each one had a duration of approximately five minutes. I found it fascinating to create an album from these sessions where I could listen to each microphone in detail and create melodies and harmonies from Tony's unique style.

Miguel: Did production begin with these recordings? Or were there existing ideas before receiving them? How did you select and integrate Tony Allen's drum tracks into each song?

Daniel: The production began by listening to Tony's recordings over and over again—not only dissecting tempo and form, but I also sought to compose by imagining that Tony was present, looking for his melody and cadence.

Talking with Eric and exchanging ideas, I started writing the scores and recording many demos until I found the voice and spirit of this album. I searched for the melodies that were being rhythmically suggested, and from this exercise, I composed each one of the songs. I was almost always integrating entire sections of the recordings. Once I had a good number of songs written, we called La BOA into the studio and started recording.

Miguel: Throughout this dynamic album, I hear influences of instruments and rhythms in a rare space between persistent Afrobeat drum patterns and the sway of Colombian call-and-response vocals and its indigenous percussion. Can you detail some of the aspects of this album that draw from authentic Colombian influences?

Daniel: One of the most fascinating concepts of Afrobeat is the use of traditional rhythms and instruments reinterpreted in the context of contemporary or current rhythms and instruments to deliver a message from its birth in Nigeria. Following that idea, we use traditional percussion from the Pacific coast (cununos) and the Caribbean coast of Colombia (alegre drum, llamador, maracas) and Latin percussion. This has been part of our approach to Afrobeat since our beginnings.

In this album we particularly approach several traditional rhythms of the Caribbean coast, such as Son de negro, Cumbia, and Bullerengue, but we also find Afrobeat patterns very attractive and we ground them with local percussion elements.

Miguel: Various synthesizers and special delay effects enhance the space in many of the songs, almost as a contrast to the very human and grounded energy that originates from the heavy presence of percussion and brass. What is the importance of these "artificial" or affected elements in this new blend of sounds you captured on this and many of La BOA's previous albums?

Daniel: As a producer, I've developed my production and mixing style based largely on Jamaican Dub and Reggae production techniques from the '70s. I use the mixer and effects like another instrument or expressive texture, especially tape delays, phasers, and reverbs. Electronic instruments take on an equally important role as any acoustic instrument.

There is also something emotional about affecting and manipulating the sound in real time, both for the listener and me. It is one of my favorite tools, which, although sounding through an electronic machine, can transmit emotions. This is captured in this album and almost all of La BOA's productions.

Miguel: The album’s liner notes suggest that the song "Tony Allen (No compro)" may have been the genesis of this whole album. La BOA created it in homage to Tony Allen on the 2017 album, Volumen. Where did the idea for this song stem from?

Daniel: When we made "Tony Allen (no compro)", at the time, it was a tribute to the heroes that define the history of a musical genre and keep it alive. I don't think Tony would have listened to it, but it doesn't matter. For us, it is important to recognize the work of the masters and all that one can learn, discover, and enjoy from tradition and history.

Miguel: What is the importance of Casa Mambo and Mambo Negro Records in influencing the creation and production of this album?

Daniel: Casa Mambo is a space we have been building for ten years. It is the headquarters of Mambo Negro Records, and the production studio of Frente Cumbiero (Mario Galeano), N. Hardem, Viceversa Cine, Avenida Films, and other surrounding projects. It is a creative space where the main theme is the artistic community of the city; it is a very inspiring meeting space where the magic happens.

Miguel: N. Hardem, the prolific and talented emcee from Bogotá, is featured on La BOA's previous album from 2022, La Bestia, and he makes another appearance on this album on "Tarifa Plena." Did this occur due to your collaboration in the British-Colombian ensemble Mestizo?

Daniel: N. Hardem was present in part of the process of creating the album, thanks to Casa Mambo. We shared the house’s patio to drink coffee or smoke a cigarette. So, since the composition stage of the music, I already imagined that "Tarifa Plena" had his voice and message.

Miguel: Bejuco, originating from the Pacific Coast of Colombia, is also featured on "Cuento." How does their inclusion on this album strengthen and uphold the spirit of protest so important to the long legacy of Afrobeat music?

Daniel: Bejuco are part of the few groups that make up the Afrobeat scene in the country. They also integrate a vision from Tumaco, Nariño (Colombia), a region almost bordering Ecuador, where the spirit of protest is embodied in a reality very different from what we live in Bogotá. Inequality and conflict are lived very intensely; with this collaboration, we want to express a broader and honest point of view. We believe that part of the legacy of Afrobeat is to create community and strengthen all artistic expressions that are not necessarily part of the mainstream.

Miguel: What kind of footprint does the cosmopolitan capital city of Bogotá imprint upon the songs heard on La BOA meets Tony Allen?

Daniel: Bogotá is a very conflictive city of love and hate, cold and heat, of conflict, and all these condition us to create diverse forms. Like many other Latin American cities, we live with the inability of the government to provide justice and welfare, the voracity of corporations, etc. It is a city inhabited by people from all regions of the country and beyond. Artistically, it is rich and varied, and that nourishes us and gives meaning to what we do.

Tony Allen performs at Rockefeller during Oslo Jazzfestival 2015. Photo by Tore Sætre.

Miguel: As a Colombian Afrobeat band active for many years, Tony Allen must've already been a major influence. Did this deep respect for Allen and his legacy ever present itself as an impediment to the music-making process?

Daniel: We mainly took this work with a lot of respect, making this album a challenge in terms of production, interpretation, and above all, trying to give it the message and the love it deserves.

Miguel: Are there any plans to continue strengthening this bond between the music endemic from Colombia and the music of Afrobeat's pioneers?

Daniel: Researching the endemic music of Colombia is part of our quest as a band, and we believe that this research goes beyond the borders of Latin America. Especially the musical link to the Caribbean, which inspires us to know it in depth and to compose more music.

La BOA meets Tony Allen can be purchased from Bandcamp or Qobuz, and you can listen to it on your streaming platform of choice. Follow La BOA on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.