Nigerian singer Tekno has explained why he does not personally regard Afrobeat pioneer Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti as his “king,” saying his upbringing meant he was not exposed to Fela’s music while growing up.
Tekno explained that he grew up in Bauchi, where his father is Igbo and Yoruba was not commonly spoken around him. According to the singer, his musical upbringing was therefore different from that of people who grew up surrounded by Fela’s records and Afrobeat culture.
Tekno Says His Musical Childhood Was Different
Tekno’s explanation was less about dismissing Fela Kuti’s influence and more about explaining the personal musical environment that shaped him. He said he did not grow up listening to Fela, meaning the Afrobeat legend did not occupy the same place in his childhood soundtrack that he does for many Nigerians and African music lovers.
For Tekno, musical influence appears to be connected strongly to what an artist actually heard while growing up. So while some Nigerians may have grown up hearing Fela’s politically charged Afrobeat blasting from speakers, Tekno’s own musical journey took a different route.
“Fela Didn’t Make Duro, Pana or Yawa”
Tekno further pointed to the differences between his own sound and Fela’s Afrobeat, noting that “Rara” is the only one of his songs he considers to sound like Fela’s style.
He also mentioned songs such as “Duro,” “Pana” and “Yawa,” essentially highlighting the fact that his catalogue and musical identity developed in a different direction from Fela’s. In other words, while Fela had his Afrobeat kingdom, Tekno’s musical passport apparently came with a completely different itinerary.
The comments are likely to generate discussion because Fela Kuti remains one of the most influential figures in African music, while Tekno belongs to a generation of Nigerian artists who helped push contemporary Afrobeats into a global mainstream audience. Their music comes from different eras, experiences and creative traditions, making direct comparisons complicated.
Tekno’s remarks therefore offer an opportunity to look at how personal upbringing can shape musical taste and how different generations of Nigerian musicians can interpret the country’s musical history differently. For some listeners, Fela remains an unquestionable pioneer; for him, however, the “king” title is not necessarily personal simply because he did not grow up with the music.
At least one thing is clear: he is not denying that Fela made history. He is explaining why Fela’s music was not the soundtrack of his own childhood — and apparently, every musical kingdom has room for a different generation of kings.
OGM News NG will continue to follow the conversations shaping Nigerian music, culture and the ever-evolving Afrobeats story.
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