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A viral tweet pointing out Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage's ethnicity after her performance at King Charles III's coronation on May 6 has left the internet divided. The 43-year-old personality performed her famous song, Keys to the Kingdom, from Beyonce's 2016 album, The Lion King: The Gift.
Expressing her excitement, Savage took to her Twitter handle and shared a video from her performance, writing:
Moreover, several internet users hailed the singer's performance at the event, calling it a win for "Cameroon, Nigeria, and Africa."
The viral tweet made several people question Tiwa's ethnicity, who performed alongside other artists like Lionel Richie, South African opera singer Pretty Yende, Katy Perry, etc.
No, Tiwa Savage is not Ghanian
Born on February 5, 1980, Tiwa Savage is a native of Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria. As per news outlet Legit NG, the All Over singer's parents raised her in a multicultural home. At the age of 11, she, along with her family, moved to London, United Kingdom.
She graduated with a degree in business administration from the University of Kent. She attended Berklee College of Music as well.
In 2009, she signed a deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing after appearing in UK's The X Factor. Savage returned to Nigeria in 2012 and signed with Mavin Records because of the growth of the music business there. She was on the compilation record Solar Plexus, which the label put out in 2012.
Once Upon a Time was her first studio record, which came out on July 3, 2013. It had seven hits to back it up: Love Me (3x), Ife Wa Gbona, Olorun Mi, Kele Kele Love, Without My Heart, Folarin, and Eminado.
The album was nominated for two prestigious awards in 2014 - Best Album of the Year at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards and Best R&B/Pop Album at The Headies.
Tiwa Savage's second album, R.E.D., was released in December 2015 and had hits like Standing Ovation and My Darlin. A year later, she signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation.
In November 2018, Savage received the 2018 MTV Europe Music Award for Best African Act. She was the first woman to win this award. In May 2019, she revealed that she was leaving Mavin Records and signing with Universal Music Group.
Tiwa Salvage was slammed online for performing at King Charles III's coronation
After Tiwa's performance at the coronation, several internet users slammed the artist for singing at the event, given that Nigeria got independence from British colonial rule in 1960. According to Rolling Stone, many performers, including Adele, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, and Robbie Williams, declined offers to perform during the coronation.
Some users felt that Tiwa Savage should have done the same. Several users called out the singer for performing for their "colonizers," and that, too, a song that is meant to uplift young black boys.
As of this article's writing, Tiwa Savage has not responded to the online backlash for her performance at May 6's coronation.
