Tiwa Savage
Tiwa Savage | |
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| Birth name | Tiwatope Omolara Savage |
| Born | 5 February 1980 Isale Eko, Lagos State, Nigeria |
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| Years active | 1996–present |
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Tiwatope Omolara Savage (born 5 February 1980), known as Tiwa Savage, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and actress.[1] She sings in English, Nigerian Pidgin, and Yoruba. In 2018, she won Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards, becoming the first woman to win the award.[2] She has released four studio albums and her third album, Celia, was ranked in Time magazine's list of the 10 Best Albums of 2020.[3]
Early life
Savage was born on 5 February 1980 in Isale Eko, Lagos State, Nigeria. Her family moved to London when she was 11 years old. She studied accounting at the University of Kent. She later studied professional music at Berklee College of Music in the United States and graduated in 2007.[4]While at school in London, she sang backup vocals for several artists including George Michael, Mary J. Blige, and Kelly Clarkson.[5]In 2006, she took part in the UK edition of the television show The X Factor. She reached the final 24 but did not make it to the final 12.
In 2009, she signed a deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which allowed her to write songs for other artists. Her work with American singer Fantasia earned Fantasia a Grammy nomination in 2010.[5]
Career
2012–2016
Savage moved back to Nigeria and signed with Mavin Records in 2012.[6]On 3 July 2013, she released her first studio album, Once Upon a Time. It was nominated for Best Album of the Year at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.[7]On 19 December 2015, she released her second studio album, R.E.D. In June 2016, she signed a management deal with Roc Nation, becoming the first Nigerian artist to do so.[8]
2017–2019
On 22 September 2017, she released a short album called Sugarcane. In November 2018, she won Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards, the first woman to receive this award.[9]In May 2019, she left Mavin Records and signed a deal with Universal Music Group.[10] That same year, she appeared on a song on Beyoncé's album The Lion King: The Gift, and sang background vocals on a song on Coldplay's album Everyday Life.
2020–present
In July 2020, Savage started a charity group called We Are Tired, which gave legal help to victims of sexual violence in Nigeria.[11]On 28 August 2020, she released her third studio album, Celia. It had 13 songs and included artists such as Sam Smith and Davido. Time magazine ranked it among the 10 best albums of 2020.[12]On 20 August 2021, she released a second short album, Water & Garri. On 15 July 2022, she received an honorary degree from the University of Kent.[13]In 2023, she acted in a film she also co-produced called Water and Garri, which was shot in Ghana.[14]On 7 May 2023, she performed at King Charles III's Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.[15]
Personal life
Savage married Tunji Balogun in 2013. They had one son together. The couple separated in 2016 and Savage filed for divorce in 2018.[16]In July 2021, her father died from an illness.[17]In 2021, Savage said that someone had tried to blackmail her using a private video. She said she would not pay them.[18]
Albums
- Once Upon a Time (2013)
- R.E.D (2015)
- Celia (2020)
Short albums (EPs)
- Sugarcane (2017)
- Water & Garri (2021)
Selected awards
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Nigeria Entertainment Awards | Best Album (Once Upon a Time) | Nominated |
| 2018 | MTV Europe Music Awards | Best African Act | Won |
References
- ↑ "Tiwa Savage Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
- ↑ "Tiwa Savage becomes the First Female 'Best African Act' at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards". 5 November 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
- ↑ "Tiwa Savage's CELIA makes Time Magazine's top 10 album for 2020". Premium Times. 28 November 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ↑ Mark Small. "The Queen of African Music". Berklee. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
- 1 2 "Tiwa Savage Biography, a Nigerian singer". Nigeria Music Network. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- ↑ "Tiwa Savage – Mavin Records". Mavin Records. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- ↑ "Pop duo, Skuki, reject Nigerian Entertainment Awards nomination". Premium Times. 31 May 2014.
- ↑ "Tiwa Savage signs with Jay Z's Roc Nation - reports". The Times. 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Tiwa Savage becomes the First Female 'Best African Act' at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards". 5 November 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
- ↑ "Tiwa Savage Signs Exclusive Global Deal with Universal Music Group". Music Business Worldwide. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ↑ "Tiwa Savage: the Nigerian pop star fighting the country's rape crisis". The Guardian. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
- ↑ "Tiwa Savage's CELIA makes Time Magazine's top 10 album for 2020". Premium Times. 28 November 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ↑ "Tiwa Savage celebrates honorary degree". University of Kent. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ↑ "Tiwa Savage turns actress, plays lead role in 'Water and Garri' film". TheCable. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ↑ "Pretty Yende and Tiwa Savage to sing at Charles III coronation". The Africa Report. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ↑ "Tiwa Savage files divorce hubby". Vanguard. March 2018.
- ↑ "Breaking: Tiwa Savage loses dad". Vanguard. 19 July 2021.
- ↑ Augoye, Jayne (8 October 2021). "How my sex tape got leaked – Tiwa Savage". Premium Times.