Support from the Diaspora
Case in point: Tekno
Given that Nigeria has the largest population in Africa and a huge and growing Diaspora community, it is no wonder that the work of their artistes quickly reaches mass appeal. Nigerian artists also do their best to position themselves for international festivals and awards, perhaps more so than their fellow continent-men who often stay local.
25 year old ‘Pana’ star, Tekno, did his first show in New York City in 2014, at the tender age of 21. He had no laudable hits but throngs of Nigerians in the U.S. came out to support him. He is now one of the most sought-after Afrobeats stars in the world. The risk of putting himself way beyond his comfort level has paid huge dividends.
Davido even told the Financial Times last year, “Funnily enough. This is the first time that I’ve won European awards. I realised that when I really focused on Africa and my culture, that’s when people started recognising me.”
