‘Fela not originator of Afrobeats’ – Tekno claims

Nigerian singer Augustine Miles Kelechi, popularly known as Tekno, has challenged the widely held belief that 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 music legends from different parts of Nigeria played significant roles in the development of the genre.

According to the singer, musicians such as the late highlife icon Oliver De Coque also made important contributions to the sound that later evolved into what is known globally as Afrobeats.

Tekno said Fela’s international exposure and extensive travels helped him gain greater recognition, which he believes resulted in the late musician receiving much of the credit for the genre.

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“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 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.

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