Fela Is Not Sole Originator Of Afrobeats, Oliver De Coque Contributed – Tekno

Nigerian singer Augustine Miles Kelechi, popularly known as Tekno, has questioned the widely held belief that the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was the only person responsible for the origin of Afrobeats.

Speaking during an interview on Hot 97 FM in New York, Tekno said Fela should not be regarded as the sole founder of the genre.

According to him, Legosians and Yoruba people may give Fela most of the credit, but his musical background in eastern Nigeria gives him a different view.

Tekno argued that the music of legendary highlife musician Oliver De Coque also played a role in shaping what is now known as Afrobeats.

“Fela is not the originator of Afrobeats,” Tekno said.

“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.”

Tehno said Fela gained much of the international recognition because he travelled widely and performed with his band in different parts of the world.

“He (Fela) 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 said.

Although he challenged Fela’s position as the sole originator of Afrobeats, Tekno acknowledged his major influence on his own career.

He revealed that his hit song “Rara” was inspired by Fela’s music and described the late musician as a legend.

Tekno, however, said Oliver De Coque and other musicians from eastern Nigeria also had a strong influence on him.

“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.”

“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,” he said.

Watch the video below:

ALSO READ: Afrobeat Legend, Fela Kuti Misses Out On Induction Into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame