"I don't know how to talk", claimed the man behind the drum kit, admitting that he wasn't used to this much pressure. Tony Allen was once responsible for the rhythms that powered Afrobeat, Fela Kuti's explosive blend of jazz, funk and African styles. It has been a quarter of a century since he left the band that transformed the African music scene, and now he was responsible for organising a celebrity-packed celebration. As promised, he said little and did what he's best at - whipping up a dance groove.

He has updated Afrobeat with anything from dub to hip-hop since the Fela days, and at the Barbican he showed that his playing is still compelling and contemporary. The songs were centred around his inventive, driving percussion, matched against insistent bass lines, solos from the five-piece horn section and his own Fela-influenced vocals. This was great club music, but for a concert performance he needed a singer with far more personality.

This happened - eventually - with the arrival of "special guests" who have all worked with him in the past. First up was Keziah Jones, a sharply dressed London-based Nigerian with a massive following in France, who played blues funk guitar. Then came Ty, another Nigerian Londoner, recently nominated for the Mercury prize. He had opened the show with his own impressive band, and again showed his skills as a versatile rapper with engaging personality, on one of Allen's best songs, Home Cooking.

Finally, there was Damon Albarn, who somehow found time to juggle his commitments to Blur and Gorillaz with a trip to Lagos to record with Allen. Looking as if he had ambled in off the street, Albarn presented two strong new songs. Trial and Tribulations was a sturdy gospel-influenced ballad, while 5 Star was a rousing Afrobeat workout featuring the singer Baba Ani, another veteran of Fela Kuti's band. Albarn himself leaped around the stage, enthusing the crowd. Tony Allen couldn't have asked for more.