Photo Credit: Pulse.ng / Hot 97
Tekno Says Fela Kuti Is Not The Only Creator Of Afrobeats, Hails Other Legends

Nigerian singer Augustine Kelechi Okechukwu, popularly known as Tekno, has called for wider recognition of other Nigerian music icons in the story of Afrobeats.

Speaking in a recent interview on Hot 97, Tekno argued that contrary to popular belief, the late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti should not be seen as the sole creator of the sound.

The “Pana” hitmaker said growing up in eastern Nigeria exposed him to highlife music, especially the works of highlife legend Oliver De Coque.

According to him, highlife is a core part of what is today known as Afrobeats, but that connection is often overlooked.
“They’re legends like Oliver De Coque. He’s a legend that makes pure highlife music, and highlife is also Afrobeats,” Tekno said.

“I have a record of mine, Rara, that is really big and is heavily inspired by Fela because I heard his tune as well and he’s a legend.”
Tekno acknowledged Fela’s massive role in putting Afrobeat/Afrobeats on the world map, but said the global attention on Fela has overshadowed other legends who made equally important contributions.
“He obviously stamped the Afrobeats thing on the world map, but we have some other legends that sang very good music that if you heard today, you wouldn’t even believe that those songs were made in those times.”

“People don’t know them as much, but my dad used to play these records, and it was so many artistes that made it, but Fela gets the credit because he kind of traveled and he had the band that went around the world.”

“To some people, he’s the originator of Afrobeats, but to me, there are a lot of them,” he added.
Fela Kuti remains widely regarded as the pioneer of Afrobeat, which he created by fusing West African rhythms with jazz, funk and political consciousness.

Tekno’s point, however, is that the evolution into modern Afrobeats has deeper roots in highlife and other Nigerian traditions, and the legends behind those sounds deserve their flowers too.
Source: Pulse Nigeria