Veteran Nigerian music producer Samklef, whose real name is Samuel Oguachuba, has stirred debate after disputing the long-held belief that Fela Anikulapo-Kuti originated Afrobeat.
The Molowo hitmaker alleged that Fela adopted the sound and style of another veteran musician, Orlando Julius Ekemode, whom he described as the true creator of the genre.
Samklef made the claims amid an ongoing public feud involving his former associate, Wizkid, and members of Fela’s family.
In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Samklef uploaded a photo of Orlando Julius and asserted that Afrobeat predated Fela’s mainstream recognition of the sound.
“This is the man that created Afrobeat! His name is Orlando Julius Ekemode! Fela stole his style,” he wrote.
He further claimed that Orlando Julius served as a direct mentor to Fela, stating that the late musician also taught Fela to play instruments, including the saxophone.
“Fela stole Orlando Julius Ekemode, the original Afrobeat founder’s style. He also taught Fela how to play sax,” Samklef added.
Lamenting what he described as poor historical record-keeping in Nigeria, the producer argued that inadequate documentation has shaped public understanding of the genre’s origins.
“The problem with Nigeria is generally we lack proper documentation. I go start to dey teach una history,” he wrote.
Samklef’s comments have since sparked renewed online discussion about Afrobeat’s evolution and the roles of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Orlando Julius. As of now, neither Fela’s family nor representatives of Orlando Julius have publicly responded to the claims.
