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Timaya credits Fela for Nigerian music's reach while Tekno rejects him as king
The two singers spoke separately, one praising the Afrobeat pioneer's global influence and the other naming highlife musician Oliver De Coque as his pick.
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Nigerian singer Timaya says the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is the reason his country's music is recognised abroad. Fellow artist Tekno has again refused to call Fela his king of Nigerian music. The views emerged separately, one on a podcast and the other in a Lagos radio interview.
What we know
- On the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, Timaya named the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti as the musician who helped Nigerian sound win recognition abroad, and as an inspiration to him and other Nigerian performers.
- Timaya added that Fela's reach went beyond Nigeria, pointing to the respect he commands in Cameroon, and insisted he would never show disrespect to Fela or his family.
- Tekno told Yanga FM Lagos he does not regard Fela as the king of Nigerian music, choosing the highlife musician Oliver De Coque instead. “Fela is not and will never be my king of music. Oliver De Coque is the king for me,” Tekno said.
- Tekno explained that he is Igbo and grew up in Kaduna, where he was not exposed to Fela's music.
What's disputed / unconfirmed
- The Ghana Report reported Timaya as saying Fela is revered in Cameroon like a god, whereas Daily Guide Network described only high respect and continued celebration of his music there, so accounts of how strongly he put it differ.
- Daily Guide Network reported that Timaya credited Fela with bringing Nigerian artistes recognition and said he calls Fela Baba because the musician's inspiration went beyond Nigerians alone. The Ghana Report did not carry these remarks, so they rest on one report.
Why it matters for Ghana
Fela's place in African popular music is a live topic for Ghanaian fans, who follow Nigerian artistes closely on streaming platforms, on radio and at concerts in Accra and Kumasi. The exchange shows that even among today's Afrobeats stars there is no shared view of whom to credit for the genre's influence, which shapes how music lovers in Ghana and beyond talk about its history.
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