Tekno sparks debate over Fela Kuti's musical influence

Nigerian singer Tekno has sparked debate by stating that Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti was not his musical influence. During an interview on Yanga FM, Tekno clarified that while he recognizes Fela as the originator of the genre, the late musician was never his “king.”

Tekno attributed this lack of influence to his upbringing in Bauchi, where he was raised by his Igbo father without significant exposure to Yoruba music. Instead, he cited Igbo highlife legend Oliver De Coque as a primary musical influence. He noted that while his song ‘Rara’ shares some similarities with the Afrobeat sound, his other hits like ‘Duro’ and ‘Pana’ stem from different musical backgrounds.

Ayo Kuti, the grandson of Fela Kuti, responded to the remarks by stating he does not rate Tekno highly enough to be concerned by the comments, saying, “I don’t rate Tekno enough to care about what he said.”