I refunded over $1m of show money when I lost my voice – Tekno

Augustine Miles Kelechi Okechukwu, the Nigerian singer popularly known as Tekno, has revealed that he refunded more than $1 million after losing his voice, describing the experience as one of the darkest periods of his life.

In an interview with Cool FM, the 33-year-old singer recalled the financial and emotional challenges he faced after developing a vocal condition that forced him to cancel several performances.

According to him, the situation became so dire that he could not afford his surgery at the time.

“I was refunding so much money over $1 million worth, that was very dark. Even after my surgery, I couldn’t pay for the surgery,” he said.

Tekno added that a performance in Cameroon, which had been booked a year in advance, helped him settle his medical bills.

He said he received approximately $110,000 for the show but was left with only $3,000 after covering his expenses.

The singer said the experience changed his perspective on life. He admitted he could have questioned why the health challenge occurred at the peak of his career but chose to focus on the positives instead.

“For me, I really understand that life is a journey. All of us here, everyone in this room, we are all just experiencing life in our own way. It’s like I could be mad at myself or be mad at God, saying why me, why at the time where I was literally sitting on top of everything and lose my voice,” he said.

“I could focus on that or I could focus on the fact that happened and I’m able to still wake up and smile and laugh and then keep doing what I do which is music.”

In 2018, Ubi Franklin, chief executive officer of Made Men Music Group, confirmed that Tekno would not be able to perform at shows for a while due to temporary damage to his voice box.