World Music Wednesday is a weekly segment on The North 103.3 FM. Every Wednesday at 4pm on Northland Afternoon, we will feature a brand-new release or a significantly important past work from our vast library of music from around the world.
Support for World Music Wednesday comes from Simply Ballroom in Duluth's Craft District.
Tiwa Savage is a singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the “Queen of Afrobeats”, although she will deny that title. After moving from Lagos, Nigeria to London when she was 11, Tiwa began her music career at 16 years old, performing backup vocals for artists such as Mary J Blige, George Michaels, Chaka Khan, Kelly Clarkson, and more. After participating in the UK version of the X Factor, Savage got a diploma in professional music from Berklee. Being inspired by the music scene, Savage moved back to Nigeria in 2012.
Tiwa sings songs in both English and Yoruba. In July 2013, Tiwa Savage released her debut album with Mavin Records, titled Once Upon A Time. This album became nominated for “Best Album of the Year” in the Nigeria Entertainment Awards and “Best R&B/Pop Album” for the Headies in 2014. At the end of 2015, Savage released her second studio album R.E.D. standing for Romance, Expression, and Dance. After the release of that album, Tiwa signed with Roc Nation, becoming the first Nigerian artist to sign with that label.
Tiwa Savage gained the honorary title of “Queen of Afrobeats” when preparing the release of her EP, Sugarcane. Glamour magazine in South Africa used that title in 2018, and The New York Times once again made the claim in 2020. Allure magazine continued the trend in 2021, claiming that title in a cover story on Tiwa. Her EP Sugarcane once again received nominations for “Best Album of the Year” at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards.
In August 2020, Savage released her third studio album, Celia. The title of this album was to pay homage not only to her mother, but to all women around the world. Celia made Time magazine’s Ten Best Albums of 2020. Savage’s most recent release is her second EP Water & Garri, which was released in August 2021. That EP was what inspired the film title Water and Garri, which Savage not only co-produced but wrote the original soundtrack for that film. The film is set to be released this year on PrimeVideo. Tiwa Savage has currently been in the process of making her newest album. She has stated that this new album is going to be strictly R&B.
