Tekno reveals how he lost his voice and refunded $1m in shows

Singer Tekno has revealed how severe acid reflux damaged his vocal cords, forcing him to cancel performances, refund more than $1 million in bookings and undergo surgery in New York

Speaking in a recent interview, the singer recalled pushing himself to record despite feeling something was wrong with his voice before waking up with a badly swollen throat.

Reflecting on the experience, Tekno said he chose to focus on gratitude rather than dwell on why the setback happened at the peak of his career.

“I could be mad at myself or be mad at God, like, why me? Why at a time where, like, I was literally sitting on the top of everything? I lose my voice… I could focus on that or I could focus on the fact that that happened and I’m able to still wake up and smile and laugh and then keep doing what I do which is music,” he said.

Tekno disclosed that the illness forced him to refund over $1 million worth of shows, leaving him in financial difficulty.

“I was refunding over a million dollars worth of shows,” he revealed, adding that he even struggled to pay for the surgery.

According to him, a previously booked $110,000 performance in Cameroon became his financial lifeline, leaving him with just $3,000 after settling his medical bills.

The singer said he eventually travelled to New York, where he underwent surgery at NYU under Dr. Tanuja Damani after searching for the right specialist.

He also called for improvements in Nigeria’s healthcare system, saying, “Nigeria should do better with the hospital system. I had to travel the world to find the right doctor to fix me.”