Nigerian singer Augustine Kelechi, popularly known as Tekno, has revisited the difficult period when he battled severe vocal cord damage, sharing how he faced stigmatisation and harsh judgment from people around him.

The singer, who experienced a career decline between 2018 and 2021 due to acid reflux that damaged his vocal cords, was forced into a long hiatus.

In a recent interview with Cool FM Lagos, Tekno disclosed that during his struggle, he grew to hate music and only made songs out of obligation to his recording deal with Universal.

He also revealed that even people close to him accused him of laziness for slowing down his pace, not understanding the severity of his condition.

According to him, upon recovering, he still had no desire to listen to music for a long time. He credited inspirational books with helping him heal emotionally and eventually reconnect with his craft.

He said:
"Even the people closest to me were saying that 'he is just lazy. He doesn't want to perform..'. I was in a very dark place. Even after I recovered, I hated music. I didn't want to hear music for a long time. I was only forcing myself to do music because I had a deal with Universal."