Tag: Tiwa Savage

After 12 years in the spotlight, Tiwa Savage has become a doyenne of Afrobeats, fashion, and culture. She continues to raise the bar in the male-dominated Nigerian music sector. OLAITAN GANIU was at the premiere of her movie titled, ‘Water and Garri,’ where she gave some insights into her new aspiration, creative process, and empowerment for the girl child, amongst other issues. Excerpts:

HER EVOLUTION

years ago, Tiwatope Omolara Savage was born in Isale Eko, Lagos Island, Lagos. Savage was 11 when she relocated to London with her family. She developed her passion for music when she joined her high school’s orchestra band.

By the time she was 16, Savage was already rolling with pop stars as a backup singer including  George Michael, Brandy, Mary J. Blige., Kelly Clackson, Beyonce, Chris Martin, Whitney Houston, and others.

“Watching them behind the scenes and seeing how much hard work goes into being an artiste was a great privilege.

“They made me realise that it was not just about glitz and glam, but how important the fans were. By just being in the background, I was able to watch how they performed, even when they didn’t feel like performing or were having a bad day.”

In 2006, she participated in the popular British reality television music competition, ‘The X Factor’. Though she made it to the final 24, the melanin-skinned vocalist ended up being the 12th person to be evicted.

“I lived and grew up in Wembley with my family. I got kicked off in X-Factor in Wembley in 2006,” Savage disclosed.

 As fate would have it, the doyenne is returning to Wembley, “To shut it down. The moral of that story is that when they tell you, ‘No’. You come back and show them why they should have told you, ‘Yes’,” Savage enthused with satisfaction.

Savage later enrolled at the Berklee College of Music, a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts, and launched herself in the contemporary American music scene.

She further took a songwriting course in Brooklyn to perfect her writing dexterity.

In later years, she received songwriting accolades for her contribution to many foreign entertainers including Fantasia, Babyface, Monica, Jaicko, Kat Deluna, and Mýa. Thanks largely to Sony/ATV Music Publishing who partnered with her in 2009.

CROSSING OVER FROM POP CULTURE TO AFROBEATS

Impressed with the way Afrobeats was influencing the world, the mother of one retraced her steps to her birth country’s music industry.

“I was playing RnB, Pop, Soul, and other genres before. I was also a songwriter. Afrobeats just started growing, I was just like let me jump on it…,” she said, explaining why she switched to afrobeat.

Her debut album with Mavin Records in 2012, titled, ‘Once Upon a Time,’ was released on July 3, 2013.

Savage embarked on a genre-defying mission to sing African pop music by infusing English and Yoruba in her lyrics. The body of work consists of songs, including ‘Kele Kele Love,’ ‘Eminado,’ ‘Ife Wa Gbona,’ among others.

“Yes, all of my songs have a mixture of English and my native language, Yoruba. I just can’t escape from it,” Savage said.

SHATTERING THE RECORD

Savage has continued to break all of the stereotypes of black female entertainers, remaining focused and building a strong foundation for her career.

“When I first started as an artiste, I was seen a certain way but I’ve grown since then. Even as a single mother, I stillreceive backlash for being sometimes too sexy in a male-dominated industry.” Savage also disclosed that being a female artiste, is a lot more tasking for her. “But I don’t like to complain about it, I just get it done. If it means me working ten times harder than other artistes, if it takes that, I’ll get it done,” she revealed.

She has three studio albums to her belt, including ‘Once Upon a Time (2013),’ ‘R.E.D (2015),’ and ‘Celia (2020).’ Her follow-up was two Extended Plays (EPs) titled, ‘Sugarcane (2017),’ and ‘Water & Garri (2021).’

Savage has performed for the kings and queens around the globe. Her sterling performance at King Charles III’s Coronation Concert, held at Windsor Castle on May 7 last year generated mixed reactions on social media due to the United Kingdom’s colonial history in Nigeria.

“I think Afrobeats is the beginning of popular black music. When you think of hip-hop, RnB, Soul, Reggae, and Jazz, it all stems from Africa. So, it’s a full circle moment to see that African music is getting the attention and limelight that is getting right now,” she stated.

TIWA, ALL-ROUNDER

Savage’s popularity has continued to soar,  she did not only venture into acting, she also produced her film titled, ‘Water & Garri,’ which is currently streaming on Prime Video.

The film was directed by a renowned music video director, Meji Alabi.

On the uniqueness of the movie, she explained, “The story is told from a female point of view and I’m always an advocate for that. I don’t think we have enough of that in the African film industry.

“If we do, I don’t think we have enough. So, it’s refreshing for me because it is a story about female empowerment and it’s coming from a female as well.”

“I’m proud to represent Nollywood but I feel like it is a global project and message. For me, I want to represent women in different ways and show that we have different hats. We are the only ones that can tell our stories, especially African women, so I want to execute it well so that it could open doors for everybody else.”

Savage’s transition into acting wasn’t that easy, it took her two months of acting classes to get into the role she played in ‘Water & Garri.’  “Even after the movie, it was hard for me to kind of adjust back. So, it’s fun to not be myself for weeks,” she said.

WATER AND GARRI: TWO UNUSUAL ELEMENTS

The songster described the title of her debut film as two unusual elements that mix to become a sweet delicacy.

“Water and garri are like two unusual elements that when come together can make something quite sweet. It is something that all of us – rich, poor, young, and old eat. So, there are elements of that in the movie like she went through love, betrayal, and different aspects of it.”

Read Also: I was criticised for dressing too ‘s3xy’ – Tiwa Savage

She disclosed with the project, she learned that there’s nothing she can’t accomplish with prayer, the right team, and a budget.

Savage takes it as a compliment to be referred to as ‘The Queen of Afrobeats.’ “I don’t let it get to my head. It’s not a title that I bestowed on my head and I don’t take it lightly. A lot of people expect a lot from me and I thank God that, so far, my career has been growing. I’m just thankful and it just means that I should continue,” she said with a glee.

Singer and actress, Tiwa Savage, has reflected on the criticism she faced in the early days of her career.

In an interview with Kiss FM in the United Kingdom, Tiwa shared how music lovers criticized her fashion style, claiming she dressed too provocatively and that her lyrics were edgy.

Tiwa also expressed her pride in her junior colleague, Ayra Starr, who has continued to shine in the global music scene despite similar criticisms from Nigerians regarding her fashion choices.

Read Also: Tiwa Savage’s film Water & Garri debuts on Prime Video

Savage said: “I love Ayra [Starr]. I’m obsessed with her. She’s amazing and genuine, too. It makes me emotional because when I started, I got criticized a lot for dressing too s3xy and my lyrics being too risky.

“So, seeing someone, Ayra now…If I see her wearing the short skirts as they [critics] say, I’m like, ‘Make it shorter.’

“And she looks amazing, she’s extremely talented. Yeah, she’s a star.”

Afrobeats singer, Tiwa Savage has added a new feather to her headgear as she released her debut film titled, ‘Water & Garri.’

The full-length feature movie was launched on streaming platform, Prime Video.

 Directed by Meji Alabi, the drama starring the vocalist as the lead character alongside a constellation of talented cast and crew, including Mike Afolarin, Andrew Bunting, Jemima Osunde amongst others.

The project, which was accompanied by a 10-track soundtrack, was produced by Everything Savage and Unbound Studios.

The flick tells the story of Aisha (Tiwa Savage), an ambitious fashion designer who has spent the last 10 years in the U.S. and returns to her native country following a family bereavement.

Speaking at the press conference in Lagos, Savage said the storyline will play a vital role in connecting people of African descent and non-Africans to our culture and heritage.

“Although ‘Water and Garri’ tells an authentic African story, written by Africans, still has a global message that Africans, Americans, and people that are not of African descent can resonate with because life is never black-and-white. There are ups and downs.

Read Also:Between Tiwa Savage and love for acting

“Water and Garri is a powerful movie in which we are able to tell our African story. It is about love, betrayal, bereavement, and other issues that people who are not African can relate to. So, I feel we should all be proud to tell our story by ourselves,” she said.

On what she set out to accomplish with the two-in-one project, the 44-year-old entertainer said it is to inspire her generation and the next.

“Acting was my first love even before music, so I hope to inspire people and just be an inspiration to many different talents out there. They don’t have to stick to one thing. We all can wear different hats, and we can do it and execute it excellently.”

On his part, the producer and Unbound Studios executive, Jimi Adesanya stressed that the play was shot in the city of Cape Coast, Ghana to promote African unity.

While the executive producer, Vanessa Amadi Ogbonna opined that the most fascinating part of the movie is the power of the women characters to navigate life.

“When we were creating it (Water and Garri), we weren’t thinking about balance. We were thinking about telling the story in an exciting and relatable way,” said director Meji Alabi on the antithesis of the movie.

In an address by the Special Assistant to the President on Digital and Creative Economy, Fegho Umunubo, he said the Federal Government’s support for the “Water and Garri” premiere is part of its show of support for the creative industry.

Speaking of the government’s support of Savage’s debut movie, Umunubo said, “She has committed a lot to the creative industry. We saw the need to support her, knowing how much it takes to move from music to film.”

Umunubo said the government had secured N5 billion in partnership with Providus Bank to support screened creatives in the movie industry who will receive the money without collateral.

In his own submission, the Special Assistant to the President on Arts, Culture and Digital Economy, Ayo Adeagbo, said another area of the government’s support for the creative industry is in policy-making, including a task force tackling piracy.

Adeagbo said the presidency was working with the Ministry of Justice to establish regulations to stem the loss of revenue from piracy.

Afrobeats singer Tiwa Savage has stated that her love for acting came before her emergence on the music scene.

Savage, who is set to make her acting debut in the highly anticipated drama entitled, ‘Water and Garri’, revealed that she is retracing her first passion.

“I’ve always wanted to do acting. Actually, it was my first love before music,” she enthused. “I got into music for some reason. I just felt it was high time for me to come back to acting.”

On her character in the film, Savage said the drama tells the story of a girl who returns to her native home after 10 years away in the U.S., following a family bereavement.

Read Also: DSS denies shooting man at Lagos filling station

“It’s a drama. It’s about a girl pursuing her dream, and America is the only place she can think of. She went to America for about 10 years, and when she got back home, things have changed, and also she recandles her relationship with her first love.”

The theatrical work will be exclusively screened on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories on May 10.

Award-winning singer Tiwa Savage has reiterated the importance of men in the life of a woman despite their “crazy” nature.

Savage, who recently released a collaborative song with Simi titled ‘Men Are Crazy,’ said she relished working with the ‘Duduke’ crooner.

Read Also: Tiwa Savage, Khadijat Wahabre defines with GLEAM

Speaking recently on MTV Live, she described their collaboration as “magical” as she noted that Simi is “a queen in Afrobeats”.

She said: “My collaboration with Simi is titled ‘Men are crazy but I still want one in my bed.’ The inspiration behind it is that men are crazy but we can’t do without them.

“Simi is somebody that I’ve always wanted to work with. She is a queen in Afrobeats so both of us coming together on such an amazing track is magical.”

In a bold stride towards reshaping the fashion industry, Tiwa Savage and Stephanie Coker’s designer, Khadijat Wahab, has redefined standard with her latest collection.

The Wakaddy Empire boss recently presented its latest collection, GLEAM, under the creative direction of Wahab.

Already, Khadijat’s impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail have earned Wakaddy Empire acclaim from esteemed clientele, including Chidinma Ikile, Kika Osunde, Chioma Ikokwu, Gbemi O., Mrs. Nosa Okubo, and many others.

Read Also: Brymo queries Tiwa Savage over ‘Men are Crazy’ collab with Simi

Her achievements and collaborations underscore Wakkady Empire’s brand’s reputation for excellence and its ability to resonate with discerning fashion enthusiasts.

The launch of GLEAM, which basically translates to radiating with confidence and elegance, introduces a significant milestone for Wakaddy as it continues to redefine norms and set new standards in the fashion landscape.

Established in July 2015, Wakaddy Empire has consistently pushed boundaries, and this new release promises to be a testament to its innovative spirit.

Afrobeats singers Tiwa Savage and Simi have released their song collaboration ‘Men are crazy”.

It is rare in the industry to see female stars collaborate on a song that can’t be said for Simi and Tiwa as they have teamed up to produce a song.

The single was released on April 5, 2024. The song the award-winning artistes paired their captivating vocals to highlight the complexity of love relationships with men.

Read Also: Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Wizkid make top five of Terry G’s list

“Men are mad, but I still want one in my bed,” Simi sings, setting the tone for the song, in which both artistes navigate the ups and downs of romantic relationships before deciding to accept love despite its many challenges.

Simi’s soft vocals merge with Tiwa Savage’s swaggering verse in which she recalls the trials of a love relationship and, like Simi, desires one for herself.

Pop flows, dancehall bounce, and lovely melodies combine to create a song that showcases the best of both stars. ‘Men Are Crazy’ is a high point for Nigerian music, as there are few duets between the top female performers.

‘Men are crazy’ follows Simi’s first single of the year, ‘All I Want’, and prepares audiences for the release of her fifth solo album.

Popular singer Gabriel Oche Amanyi aka Terry G has picked his top five Nigerian artists.

He listed Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Tiwa Savage and Tems as the biggest Nigerian artists.

The ‘Akpako Master’ featured in a recent episode of The Honest Bunch Podcast.

Read Also: Burna Boy, Rema win at 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards

“My top 5 Nigerian artists are Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Tiwa Savage and Tems, in that order,” he said.

Terry G explained that although artists such as Rema, Ayra Starr and Fireboy have achieved a lot, he did not include them on the list of the biggest artists in Nigeria because he believes they need to consistently produce quality work over the years to earn their spots.