Tekno: Is singer at the risk of overusing this ‘mid-tempo’ sound?

He has to do something. Anything other than his current template.l

What didn’t ‘Pana’ do for Tekno? What didn’t the man achieve with that sensual hit single that became a phenomenon?

He did everything. From receiving more private shows, to growing his fan base across the world, Augustine Miles had such a good time. Columbia Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment threw their weight behind it, signed it up and released in the US and UK.

According to a new article by Billboard, the singer's deal was only for 'Pana'. Billboard spoke to Imran Majid, senior vice president of A&R at Columbia, who signed the track and re-released it in December.

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Tekno Pana

 (Triple MG)

Imran Majid, who has spent four years in A&R at Columbia following previous work at Republic Records and Universal Motown Record Group, discovered the song in August 2016. "'Pana' popped on to my radar through a viral video on Facebook of a couple dancing to the song on the beach," he remembers. "I heard it, loved the song, flagged it."

"It's a bonus when an artist is coming out of a scene," Majid adds. "There's a network of great artists coming out of West Africa, and this music travels very quickly in the U.S., in Canada, in the U.K., throughout Europe."

‘Pana’ felt like the zenith of Tekno’s frolicking with his newfound sound. He has since created new material but none has reached that height. ‘Diana’ came through later, and although it elevated itself to hit status, it never achieved ‘Pana’s distinction.

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It’s 2017, and new song ‘Yawa’ is pushing to be heard. Possessing the trademark Highlife and R&B melody, it’s a great song. But its successor, ‘Be’ takes a lot of work to get in.

It starts off with a lonely guitar spot, before transcending into a mix of reggae with an interplay of bass and lead guitars, and occasional piano keys and horns. It’s a rich production, but Tekno failed to carry it along with the required delivery. It’s a freestyle, which has namedropping, and plenty of filler lyrics.

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If his team succeeds in marketing this right, they might just score an underground hit. But how much can they push this. Tekno has carried the vibe from ‘Duro’ and ran with it to this point. But a little more invention won’t hurt.

An album is projected to be on the way this year, and based on what we have heard so far, it will be one long mid-tempo extension. Unless he does something.

He has to do something. Anything other than his current template.