I Wasn’t Happy Being African – Tiwa Savage Recalls Growing Up In London
Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage has dismissed claims that Afrobeats is currently experiencing its worst run in the past two decades.
Reputable music executives, including Paul Okoye aka Paulo, and DJ Big N, have claimed that Afrobeats is declining in separate interviews and social media posts.
However, speaking at the Unstoppable Africans event recently, Savage boasted that Afrobeats is unstoppable.
She argued that contrary to claims that the genre was declining, it is gaining more grounds on charts and tours.
She also spoke about the cultural impact of Afrobeats, recalling that she used to be unhappy about being an African growing up in London, but the positive image Afrobeats is giving the continent has made her become proud of her race.
The singer noted that Afrobeats has achieved a lot despite not having enough support, structure or infrastructure.
“Afrobeats is the fastest growing genre in the world. We kind of created it with nothing; no support, no infrastructure, no real belief even from our own people initially.
“I remember growing up in London and I was not happy being African. But now I’m so proud because of how big Afrobeats is growing.
“There was a conversation at one point that Afrobeats is going to have its 15 minutes of fame and then fades away. But we are still here. We are not slowing down. In fact, we are filling out stadiums, and we are getting the biggest songs on the charts right now.
“I don’t know how true this is, but apparently one in every four black persons is a Nigerian or an African.
“So, we are not going anywhere. As much as they are trying to quiet us down, the music is not going anywhere. We are Africans and we are unstoppable,” she remarked.