The Tiwa Savage American tour kicked off Sunday 15th May 2022 and quickly sold out the New York opening show. Riding on the back of her new EP titled WATER AND GARRI, signs are that the tour dates would be a sell out like the opening New York show last night.
In Lagos, AfricaMusicOnline correspondent Ayotunde Olumilua reviewed the Water and Garri production and gave it more than just a pass mark. Ayo reports below:
The boldness to step out of the norm is something many talented and successful artistes never had. In order to explore new frontiers, one must be brave enough to. It is safe to say that Tiwa Savage’s Water and Garri is definitely a step into an enthralling dimension.
Even though it was released last year, the Water and Garri EP has retained its wondrous aura. This is as a result of its ageless sound that didn’t conform to the raving pop of today’s Nigeria. In the lead up to the project’s release, legendary American producer Pharrell Williams praised the bold sound of some songs on the EP, and quelled her apprehension about the commercial potential of the project.
Fortunately, the project was a commercial and critical success. Thanks to lead single Tales and Moonlight and afropop-flavoured R&B hit Somebody’s Son, Tiwa was able to retain her appeal and still make music for the sake of art.
The 5-track EP is a follow-up to the award-winning singer’s hit 2020 album Celia. It features Tay Iwar on Special Kind, Ghanaian alternative singer Amaarae on Tales By Moonlight,
American music icon Brandy on Somebody’s Son, with hip-hop household name Nas and Rich King on Work Fada.
Thematically, the EP addresses a range of issues from romantic love to the importance of hard work. The latter theme is explored extensively in the opening track Work Fada where Tiwa floats on the instrumentation and Nas delivers a spoken word piece extolling the virtues of hard work.
Songs like Tales By Moonlight display Tiwa in more carefree light as she sings about craving a lover’s intimacy over dream-like Amaarae-assisted instrumentation.
Somebody’s Son, which became a fan favourite, was a hopeful song about finding a lasting love.
Born in Isale Eko, Tiwa Savage 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.
Inspired by the growth of the Nigerian music industry, Savage moved back to Nigeria and signed with Mavin Records in 2012. Since then, it’s been one accomplishment after the other.
Water and Garri is just another milestone in her story. Whatever comes next is anyone’s guess, but she is certainly guaranteed to push the boundaries of what a pop star should be. That’s just the Tiwa way.
Credit: Africa Music.
