Nigerian singer, Augustine Miles Kelechi, popularly called Tekno, has challenged the widely held belief that the late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, was the originator of Afrobeats.
Tekno made the claim during a recent interview with Hot 97 FM in New York, where he argued that several Nigerian music legends, including the late highlife musician Oliver De Coque, contributed significantly to the development of the sound now associated with Afrobeats.
According to him, Fela’s global exposure and extensive international performances contributed to him receiving much of the recognition for the genre.
Tekno, however, acknowledged Fela’s immense influence on African music, particularly his role in taking Afrobeat to international audiences.
‘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.
‘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 it today, you wouldn’t believe was made in those times.
‘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 said.
Tekno’s comments have reignited discussions over the origins and evolution of Afrobeats and the contributions of musicians from different parts of Nigeria to the country’s contemporary music culture.