Tekno Recounts Dark Battle With Vocal Cord Damage: ‘I Hated Music’
Nigerian singer Augustine Kelechi, popularly known as Tekno, has revisited one of the toughest chapters of his career — the period between 2018 and 2021 when severe vocal cord damage forced him into a long, painful hiatus and exposed him to harsh judgment from people around him.
Speaking in a recent interview with Cool FM Lagos, Tekno revealed that the acid reflux that damaged his vocal cords not only affected his voice but also pushed him into a deep emotional struggle. During that time, he said he grew to hate music, creating songs only because he was obligated to fulfil his recording deal with Universal.
He disclosed that even those closest to him misunderstood his condition, accusing him of laziness and lack of commitment as his pace slowed drastically.
According to him, recovery did not immediately restore his passion. For a long time, he avoided listening to music altogether. He credited inspirational books with helping him heal emotionally and eventually reconnect with his craft.
He said: “Even the people closest to me were saying, ‘he is just lazy, he doesn’t want to perform.’ I was in a very dark place. Even after I recovered, I hated music. I didn’t want to hear music for a long time. I was only forcing myself to do music because I had a deal with Universal.”