Nigerian singer Tekno says the late music legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is not the sole originator of Afrobeats, sparking public debate about the genre’s history. In recent remarks made during an interview with Hot 97 FM in New York, Tekno challenges the widely held idea that Fela should be credited as the singular source of Afrobeats.
Across reports, outlets describe Tekno as arguing that Afrobeats develops through contributions from multiple figures rather than one person. Several sources note that he points to other Nigerian music pioneers as deserving recognition, with one outlet specifically referencing Oliver De Coque. The accounts frame the dispute as a challenge to conventional attribution, while noting that Tekno still situates Fela among the important figures in Nigerian music history.
While the articles agree on the core claim and the reaction it has triggered, they differ slightly in emphasis—some focus on the controversy and debate it provokes, others on the broader argument that the genre’s evolution has multiple origins and influences.
