Tekno Says Fela Did Not Start Afrobeats

Singer Augustine Miles Kelechi, popularly known as Tekno, has stirred debate after saying the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was not the sole originator of Afrobeats.

Speaking in a recent interview with Hot 97 FM in New York, Tekno argued that other music legends also shaped the sound, just as much as Fela did and specifically mentioned highlife icon Oliver De Coque.

According to him, Fela got “all the credits” because he was more exposed and travelled widely.

READ ALSO: Caterefe Says He Will Never Marry

“Fela is not the originator of Afrobeats. Lagos people and the Yorubas might say he is the one, but I am from the East, and we had legends like Oliver De Coque. Oliver De Coque made pure highlife music. Highlife is also Afrobeats,” he said.

Tekno acknowledged Fela’s global impact, but insisted other regional pioneers deserve recognition too.

“My song ‘Rara’ is heavily inspired by Fela because I heard his music while growing up. He is a legend. He was the one who took Afrobeat international. But there are other people that we listen to. In the East, we had some legends who sang some type of music that, if you heard today, you wouldn’t believe was made in those times,” he noted.

He added that growing up, he was more influenced by Eastern musicians, saying that, “I feel like these legends deserved more recognition. I would say I was more inspired by Oliver De Coque and his peers from the East. My dad used to play his music a lot.”

“Fela gets all the credit because he travelled and performed with his band around the world. To some people, he is the originator of Afrobeats, but to me, there are a bunch of them— legends that no one speaks about,” Tekno added.

BY ABDULBAQI JIBREEL AJAO