Nigerian singer Tekno has identified highlife music icon Oliver De Coque as the musician he regarded as his “king” while growing up, while offering further clarification on his earlier remarks about Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
The singer explained that his childhood musical exposure was shaped by his upbringing in northern Nigeria and his family background, saying he did not encounter Fela’s music while growing up.
“Fela was not my king and he will never be my king,” Tekno said, stressing that his statement was a reflection of his personal musical upbringing and not a dismissal of Fela’s contribution to Nigerian music and the development of Afrobeat.
According to the singer, he was simply not exposed to Fela’s music during his formative years. He pointed to his Igbo heritage and family environment as factors that influenced the kind of music he listened to as a child.
Tekno also distinguished between his own sound and Fela’s Afrobeat style, saying only one song in his catalogue, “Rara”, bears similarities to Fela’s musical approach.
He noted that some of his better-known songs, including “Duro”, “Pana” and “Yawa”, were developed from different musical influences and should not be directly linked to Fela’s sound.
Oliver De Coque as Musical ‘King’
When asked to identify the musician he regarded as his musical king while growing up, Tekno named Oliver De Coque, the celebrated Nigerian highlife guitarist and singer.
The singer also acknowledged that there were other Nigerian music legends who influenced his musical environment, although he said he could not immediately recall all their names during the interview.
Tekno’s comments come amid renewed discussion about the origins of Afrobeat and the musical influences behind the sounds of contemporary Nigerian artistes.
While Fela remains one of the most influential figures in the history of Nigerian music, Tekno’s explanation focused on his own childhood experience and the artistes whose music he encountered during his formative years.
Born Augustine Miles Kelechi Okechukwu, Tekno was born in Bauchi and has roots in Ivo, Ebonyi State. He began formal music training at the age of eight before establishing himself as one of Nigeria’s prominent contemporary singers and songwriters.
He rose to wider prominence with songs such as “Duro”, “Pana” and “Yawa”, while his song “Enjoy” also featured in the Emmy-winning television series Ted Lasso.
His latest remarks provide further context to his views on musical influence, highlighting the difference between acknowledging the historical importance of an artiste and identifying the musicians whose work personally shaped an artiste’s childhood and creative journey.