Why Fela is not originator of Afrobeats — Tekno

Nigerian singer Augustine Miles Kelechi, popularly known as Tekno, has questioned the widespread attribution of Afrobeats’ origins to the late Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

Tekno made the remarks during an interview with Hot 97 FM in New York, where he argued that several Nigerian music pioneers, particularly musicians from the eastern part of the country, played significant roles in shaping the sounds that eventually evolved into what is known globally as Afrobeats.

While acknowledging Fela’s enormous contribution to African music, Tekno said the legendary musician’s extensive international exposure helped him gain greater recognition for the genre.

He specifically mentioned late highlife musician Oliver De Coque and other eastern Nigerian music icons whose contributions, he said, have not received enough recognition.

“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,” Tekno said.

According to the singer, highlife and other indigenous musical traditions from different parts of Nigeria also contributed to the development of contemporary Afrobeats.

Tekno noted that his own music has been influenced by both Fela and Oliver De Coque, revealing that his father frequently played De Coque’s records while he was growing up.

He also pointed to Fela’s international tours as one of the reasons the musician became more closely associated with the sound.

“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,” he added.

Tekno’s comments have sparked renewed debate about the origins of Afrobeats and the contributions of musicians from different regions and musical traditions to the evolution of Nigeria’s globally recognised sound.