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Nigerian singer Tekno has sparked a conversation about the roots of Afrobeats after arguing that the genre’s history should not be associated with only one legendary musician.
During a recent interview on Hot 97, Tekno acknowledged the enormous influence of the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti but said several other Nigerian musicians and musical traditions played important roles in shaping the sound that eventually evolved into today’s Afrobeats.
The singer pointed to highlife music in particular, recalling how growing up in eastern Nigeria exposed him to the works of legendary highlife musicians such as Oliver De Coque.
Tekno argued that highlife and other indigenous Nigerian sounds are part of the wider musical foundation that contributed to the development of contemporary Afrobeats.
He also referenced his own music, explaining that his song “Rara” carries elements inspired by Fela, whom he described as an important musical figure.
According to Tekno, Fela deserves enormous credit for taking Afrobeat to international audiences, particularly through his performances and global tours. However, he believes the achievements of other older Nigerian artistes have not received the same level of recognition.
The singer suggested that many musicians from previous generations created influential records that still sound remarkable today but remain relatively unknown to younger audiences.
Fela Kuti is widely regarded as the pioneer of Afrobeat, the politically charged genre he developed by combining elements of West African traditional music with jazz, funk and other influences. His work had a major impact on African music and helped introduce the sound to audiences around the world.
Tekno’s comments, however, focus on the distinction between Afrobeat, the genre pioneered by Fela, and the broader modern Afrobeats movement that emerged decades later.
His argument has renewed discussion about the many musical traditions and artistes that contributed to Nigeria’s rich musical history.
For Tekno, celebrating Fela should not mean forgetting the other legends whose sounds, creativity and cultural contributions helped lay the groundwork for the generations of Nigerian musicians that followed.
