Afrobeats star, Tekno has opened up about one of the most difficult chapters of his career, revealing that a serious vocal cord condition once forced him to refund more than a million dollars in performance fees and nearly ended his singing career for good.

Speaking on the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, the singer, born Augustine Miles Kelechi Okechukwu, explained that his troubles began after he strained his voice during back-to-back performances in Ghana and Togo. What seemed at first like an ordinary sore throat gradually worsened into a severe vocal cord condition, compounded by acid reflux that prevented his throat from healing properly. The condition left him unable to sing, and eventually unable to speak, for several months.

With shows already booked and paid for, Tekno was left with no choice but to cancel his commitments and return the money to event organisers, a process that ultimately cost him over a million dollars in refunds. He revealed that the financial strain did not let up even after he underwent treatment, as he struggled to raise funds to cover his own medical bills while simultaneously losing income from the shows he could no longer perform. In search of answers, he sought treatment across London, Los Angeles and New York before eventually undergoing surgery to correct the damage to his vocal cords.

The singer described the period as one of the darkest of his life, admitting that the combination of his health struggles and mounting financial pressure took a heavy emotional toll on him. He credited a long-standing booking in Cameroon, which eventually earned him about $110,000, as one of the turning points that helped him claw his way back both financially and mentally.

Tekno has since made a full return to music, and he says the experience reshaped how he views his career, pushing him toward gratitude rather than dwelling on setbacks.

Photo Credit: Music in Africa