Singer Tekno has named highlife legend Oliver De Coque as one of the musicians who influenced his sound, while questioning the way Fela Kuti’s place in the history of Afrobeat is often presented.
Tekno spoke during an interview with Shani Kulture on the HOT 97 × TRACE Worldwide Wake Up show, where he was asked about the influence of older Nigerian musicians on his music.
He mentioned Fela Kuti, saying the Afrobeat pioneer influenced his song “Rara.”
He said:
“For people in Lagos and the Yorubas, one of my records, ‘Rara,’ was heavily inspired by Fela because I heard his music and he is a legend. He put Afrobeat on the world map”.
But when it comes to his own musical background, Tekno said Oliver De Coque had a bigger influence on him.
“I would say I was more inspired by Oliver De Coque because my dad used to play his records,” he said.
The singer, who is from southeastern Nigeria, also recalled listening to several musicians from the region whose music, he said, remains impressive even decades after it was recorded.
“There were so many artists that nobody knows about,” Tekno stated.
He believes Fela’s international exposure is one reason he receives much of the recognition when the history of Afrobeat is discussed.
“Fela gets a lot of the credit because he travelled, had a band, and took his music around the world,” he said.
Tekno, however, does not see Fela as the only figure who shaped the sound.
“For some people, he is the originator of the Afrobeat sound, but to me, there are still a bunch of other artists and many legends that nobody talks about,” he added.
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