At the 2016 MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA), a lot of
winners emerged, with plenty of suprises. But the biggest of the night
has to be the emergence of Tekno as the breakthrough act of the year.
The Made Men Music Group (TripleMG) singer edged out Falz (Nigeria) Simi (Nigeria), Emtee (South Africa), Babes Wodumo (South Africa), Franko (Cameroon), Nasty C (South Africa), Nathi (South Africa) and Raymond (Tanzania).
The
award which held on the night of Saturday, October 22, 2016 at the
Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg, South Africa, witnessed other artistes
emerge winners across various categories.
Who would have thought that we would get to this point when Tekno is recognised by the highest music award on the continent for his contribution to music?
No one. Nobody saw this coming. No one dreamt it. But here we are, and Tekno is killing it.
A
quick look through Google data of the most searched artiste in that
category within the past one year will show Tekno being the most sought
after all over the world. Only Emtee comes close, with Nasty C and Falz
tied a level behind Tekno.
The young, light-skinned, musician is currently the de facto Prince of
Nigerian pop music, after many years of hustle in the game. Originally
born in Bauchi, Tekno who had a father serving in the Nigerian army was
transferred between Nassarawa, and Kaduna, before settling in Abuja. It
is in the nation’s capital city that he found his rhythm with music.
First signed to K-Money Entertainment, the singer
dropped his first single, ‘Holiday’ featuring Davido in 2012. He was
later signed to Ubi Franklin’s MMMG in 2013, and 2014 saw him core his
first real hit, ‘Dance’, followed by ‘Anything’.
Loving
Tekno is easy. He makes it simple for everyone to fall in love with not
just his music, but also his celebrity. His lifestyle is a cross of
D’banj and an Ice Prince, as he alternates between classy and flashy.
There’s also humor too, adding another element to his act.
Then there’s his boyish handsomeness. Yes, he is handsome.
However, it is his music that placed him on course to be the MVP of 2016. Last year, Tekno’s ‘Duro’ and ‘Wash’
were more than songs. They became a state of mind in romance, as
relationships and marriages depended on the delightful melody, and the
nonsensical pleasing lyrics to savour moments. Lines like “Your beauty done make me realise, say NEPA don bring light”, and “If you like to watch movies, na me get Shoprite”, resonated deeply with lovers. Truly, that buzz is yet to die.
2016 has had him fire some more, giving us more hits, as ‘Where’ has achieved acceptance. His second single ‘Pana’
is exploding and spreading like wildfire. The song has caught on in the
East, the West are on it, and in street corners and clubs, Pana is
making a surge through. A video has been released which was directed by
ace filmmaker, Clarence Peters.
The pop music scape in Africa is a flimsy one, where
singles die a fast death, which is a direct result of the stiff
competition that exists due to an abundance of content in that genre.
Pop music is currently Nigeria’s most definitive genre, and the
front-liners of it get the most reward. Tekno is the first on the list
right now, and his stock keeps growing. He is currently considered the
hottest artiste in the country.
In a year where
Wizkid has had his attentions on the international scene, and Davido’s
mojo was stifled by Sony Music, Tekno has risen to the occasion, with
two hot singles. He is nowhere the levels of these kings of the genre,
with so much more to develop about his artistic and musical ability and
credentials.
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