Tiwa Savage
Tiwatope Savage, known professionally as Tiwa Savage, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, performer, and actress. Her music features a unique blend of Afrobeats that synthesizes Afropop, Reggae, and cotemporary R&B which stands out both on the continent and the global music scene.
Born in Isale-Eko, Tiwa relocated to London for her secondary school education at age 11. Her love for music started from childhood as she joined her secondary school’s orchestra band as a trombone player. At age 16, she began her music career as a background vocalist for top artists such as George Michael, Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan, Blu Cantrell, Emma Bunton, Kelly Clarkson, Andrea Bocelli, Ms. Dynamite, including others.
After graduating with a degree in Business administration from the University of Kent, Tiwa Savage progressed her music career by attending Berklee College of Music on scholarship. Prior to her graduation, she competed on The X Factor (U.K) series three and made it to the final 24.
For the next couple of years, she elevated her profile with additional musical groundwork and the landing of songwriting credits on selected albums, including Fantasia’s Grammy-nominated Back to Me.
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Inspired by the growth of the Nigerian music industry, Tiwa moved back to Nigeria in 2012 and signed to Mavin Records. In 2013, Tiwa released her debut studio album ‘Once Upon a Time’ to a great reception. The album was nominated for numerous awards with hit singles like Kele Kele Love, Love Me, Without my heart, and Ife Wa Gbona. Tiwa Savage released her second album ‘R.E.D.’ in December 2015 with hit singles ‘My Darlin’ and ‘Standing Ovation’. She signed a management and publishing deal with Jay-Z’s Rock Nation in 2016 and released EP ‘Sugarcane’.
Tiwa Savage is now signed to Universal Music Group (UMG). UMG Group is the biggest music company in the world and is among the ‘Big Three’ record labels, along with Sony Music and Warner Music Group. It was named the most innovative music company in the world by Fast Company in 2019.
Over the span of her career, Tiwa Savage’s contributions to the Nigerian music industry have earned her several laurels. She has been nominated for over 65 awards, winning several of them, including Best African Act at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards, becoming the first woman to win the category. She has also performed on stage with top international artists like Sting, 50 Cent, The Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, Robbie Williams, and Destiny’s Child, amongst others.
Tiwa Savage is undoubtedly a force in the music industry. We are so proud and inspired by her giant strides.