Nigerian singer Tekno has named Igbo highlife legend Oliver De Coque as a major influence while growing up, saying he did not listen to Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Tekno commented on an episode of Yanga FM that aired on Wednesday. He discussed his childhood, musical influences and the sounds that shaped his career.
“Fela was not my king, and he will never be my king,” he said.
Why Tekno did not listen to Fela
The singer said his upbringing played a major role in his musical influences. He grew up in Bauchi, where his Igbo father raised him without exposure to Yoruba speakers.
“I didn’t listen to Fela growing up,” Tekno added.
He said only one song in his catalogue sounds like Fela’s Afrobeat. According to him, that song is ‘Rara’.
Tekno also pointed to ‘Duro’, ‘Pana’ and ‘Yawa’ as examples of songs that came from a different musical background.
However, the singer said his comments were not an attempt to question Fela’s contribution to Afrobeat. He acknowledged Fela’s role as the originator of the genre.
When asked to name his own musical “king”, Tekno chose Oliver De Coque. He also mentioned “two or three” other legends whose names he could not immediately recall.
Tekno’s musical background
Born Augustine Miles Kelechi Okechukwu on December 17, 1992, Tekno is from Ivo in Ebonyi State. He was born in Bauchi and grew up in Nasarawa, Kaduna and Abuja.
His father served in the Nigerian Army, which led the family to move frequently.
Tekno began formal music training at eight. He later built his career with songs such as ‘Pana’, ‘Duro’, ‘Yawa’ and ‘Enjoy’. The latter featured in an episode of the Emmy-winning series Ted Lasso.
His comments follow an interview on New York radio station Hot 97 last month. Tekno argued that Fela should not receive sole credit as the originator of Afrobeats.
He also highlighted the influence of Eastern Nigerian highlife musicians, including Oliver De Coque. The comments sparked an online debate about musical credit and regional influences in Nigerian music history.
During the Yanga FM interview, Tekno also expressed interest in working with Olamide and Fola. He dismissed reports of a rift with Kizz Daniel and said the two remain on good terms.
Leave a Reply