Tiwa Savage

Tiwa Savage
2013 studio portrait of Savage
Born
Tiwatope Omolara Savage[1]

(1980-02-05) 5 February 1980 (age 44)[2]
Isale Eko, Lagos State, Nigeria
Alma materUniversity of Kent, Berklee College of Music
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actress
Spouse
Tunji Balogun
​
​
(m. 2013; div. 2018)​
[3]
Children1
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Years active1996–present
Labels

Tiwatope Omolara Savage (born 5 February 1980), known professionally as Tiwa Savage (listenⓘ), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress.[4][5][6] Savage sings in English and Yoruba; her music is a blend of afrobeats, R&B, afropop, pop and hip-hop.[7] Savage's contributions to the Nigerian music industry have earned her several achievements.[8]

Born in Isale Eko, she relocated to London at the age of 11 for her secondary education. Five years later, she began her music career doing backup vocals for artists such as George Michael and Mary J. Blige. After participating in the UK edition of The X Factor and graduating from Berklee College of Music, Savage signed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing in 2009.[9] Inspired by the growth of the Nigerian music industry, Savage moved back to Nigeria and signed with Mavin Records in 2012. She made an appearance on the label's 2012 compilation album Solar Plexus.[10]

Her debut studio album Once Upon a Time was released on 3 July 2013. It was supported by seven singles: "Kele Kele Love", "Love Me (3x)", "Without My Heart", "Ife Wa Gbona", "Folarin", "Olorun Mi" and "Eminado". The album was nominated for Best Album of the Year at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards and for Best R&B/Pop Album at The Headies 2014. On 19 December 2015, Savage released her second studio album R.E.D, which yielded the singles "My Darlin" and "Standing Ovation". In June 2016, she signed a management and publishing deal with Roc Nation.[11] Savage released her debut extended play (EP) Sugarcane in September 2017; the project comprises six tracks and was supported by the singles "All Over" and "Ma Lo". R.E.D and Sugarcane have both been nominated for Best Album at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards.

In November 2018, Savage won Best African Act at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards, becoming the first woman to win the category. In May 2019, she announced her record deal with Universal Music Group and exit from Mavin Records.[12] Savage's third studio album Celia, which was released in August 2020, yielded the singles "Attention", "Dangerous Love", "Koroba", and "Temptation". Her second extended play Water & Garri, which blends Afrobeat with soulful R&B, was released on 20 August 2021. In March 2022, Savage announced the Water & Garri North American Tour in support of the EP. In July 2022, she received an honorary degree from the University of Kent during a graduation ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral.[13]

  1. ^ "ADE ORI". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Photos from Tiwa Savage's birthday bash with friends (LOOK)". YNaija. 8 February 2014. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Tiwa Savage files divorce hubby". Vanguardngr. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Tiwa Savage Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Allure was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Pareles, Jon (7 September 2020). "Tiwa Savage, Queen of Afrobeats, Makes a New Start". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 September 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Berklee College was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Apanpa, Olaniyi (17 December 2023). "PICTORIAL: Inside Tiwa Savage's new London house". Punch Newspapers. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  9. ^ "Tiwa Savage". Biography Home. 10 October 2011. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  10. ^ "Don Jazzy forms Mavin Records, signs on Wande Coal, Tiwa Savage, D'Prince". Punch. 7 May 2012. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ "Tiwa Savage 'seals' management deal with Jay Z's Roc Nation". The Cable. 28 July 2016. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  12. ^ "Don Jazzy Pens Touching Tribute As Tiwa Savage Departs Mavins For Universal Music Group". Sahara Reporters. 2 May 2019. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  13. ^ Kuku, Zainab (8 December 2023). "Tiwa Savage within a Globalized Afrobeats Climate". The Republic. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2024.