Tekno Says Fela Did Not Invent Afrobeats

Nigerian music star Augustine Kelechi Okechukwu, better known as Tekno, is calling for a broader look at the history of Afrobeats, arguing that the genre’s story goes far beyond the name of one legendary musician.

Speaking during a recent interview on Hot 97, Tekno acknowledged the enormous influence of the late Afrobeat icon Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, but questioned the widely held narrative that Fela should be considered the sole originator of the sound.

For Tekno, the evolution of Nigerian music is a much bigger story—one that includes the countless musicians whose sounds helped shape the musical identity now celebrated around the world as Afrobeats.

The singer pointed to his upbringing in eastern Nigeria as one of the reasons he sees the genre’s history differently. Growing up, he was surrounded by highlife records, including the music of legendary guitarist and highlife maestro Oliver De Coque.

According to Tekno, highlife is an important piece of the puzzle and deserves more recognition when discussing the roots of contemporary Nigerian music.

“They’re legends like Oliver De Coque. He’s a legend that makes pure highlife music, and highlife is also Afrobeats,” Tekno said.

He also revealed that Fela’s music influenced his own creative journey, citing his song “Rara” as an example of that inspiration.

“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.”

While Tekno has no doubts about Fela’s legendary status, he believes the spotlight on the Afrobeat pioneer has sometimes made it easier for other influential Nigerian musicians to fade into the background.

He argued that Fela’s international reach played a major role in making him the face most associated with the genre’s origins.

Tekno’s point is not necessarily to take anything away from Fela, but rather to widen the conversation. In his view, the history of Nigerian music is filled with artists whose sounds, experiments and cultural influences helped lay the groundwork for what the world now calls Afrobeats.

Fela Kuti remains one of Africa’s most influential musical figures and is widely credited as the pioneer of Afrobeat, the genre he developed by blending West African rhythms with jazz, funk and politically charged lyrics. Through his music, performances and international tours, Fela helped introduce his distinctive sound to audiences far beyond Nigeria.