Question of the day>>>is mavin super mum Tiwa savage the best female singer in Nigeria

For any lady who has had to go through the
rigors of childbirth and all its attendant
problems, getting back your career to the
shape it was before the hiatus is one uphill
task. But when you work in entertainment,
especially in these fluid times, where
attention span and fan loyalty are in short
supply, then the task becomes gargantuan.
Tiwa Savage – Alpha-female performer,
Mavin Queen, African titan, urban
tastemaker, pop darling, and musical amazon
– has found getting into her groove a bit of
an uphill task.
For Tiwa, having a child meant taking time
off from work. It was a tough call as she was
actively involved in mainstream music and
had to slowly take her foot off the pedal. She
recorded her “RED” album during this
period, but was unable to release music. Her
performances slowly ground to a halt,
because she had to take it easy for the
child’s sake. The blissful pleasure of
delivering her child was there, but she had
to make some compromises, for a while.
On the endorsement front, Forte Oil was kept
on hold. A pregnant superstar marketing
engine oils, or working the fuel pumps for
the camera isn’t much joy to behold. But e-
commerce platform, Konga, took creative
advantage with Tiwa starring in pregnancy
ads to boost sales.
The industry took a shift in Tiwa’s absence,
as Yemi Alade grew in stature and influence,
and Seyi Shay’s music became pop. Many
quarters will argue that these occurrences
are inconsequential to Tiwa’s fortunes, but
in many ways they are. Music as a business
is competitive, with the interplay of multiple
emotional and unscientific factors having an
influence on whose star gets to shine
brightest. Tiwa’s hiatus left a vacuum in the
industry. That space needed to be taken up.
Tiwa gave birth to her son Jamil in July
2015, and after a couple of months » , had to
return to work. Her ‘mumback’ was on.
Project ‘Mumback’ for the singer has been
quite a journey. Musically, she took her time,
as Mavin Records crafted the shocker for the
industry. A single release was never enough.
What was needed was the album.
Tiwa’s “RED” album made headlines in
December » , with promotions beginning to
kick off this January. The first single of the
work ‘African Waist’ was dropped in
December, with a visual to get things
rolling. »
That visual shows what Africa missed in her
absence. Tiwa combined cultural pride and
colours, with premium urban taste to share
entertainment. Two weeks after release, it
stood at just under 500 thousand views.
Today, it stands proud with almost two
million views.
The “RED” album which boasts singles such
as ‘ Ovation’ ft Olamide, ‘ Rewind’, ‘If I start to
talk’ ft Dr SID, and many others have hit the
streets, and distribution began in earnest.
This album signifies the entrance of a new
Tiwa Savage – a singer who combines
familial mummy duties, with pop relevance.
She wasn’t at her best yet as she learned to
adapt to her new life. But aided by the
supporting cast at the Mavins and her savvy
manager/ husband, the signs look good for
her.
Tiwa also has had to endure a miscarriage
this year in London, and also dealt with
marital problems, which separated her and
her husband in one of the most covered
stories on the continent. Nevertheless, she
has bounced back to the fore, with the
power of her brand propelling her.
Her other competition her not fared strongly,
with one battling to save her album from
flopping, and the other chasing public
humiliation with a string of high profile
gaffes.
Today, she is set to announce a deal with Roc
Nation.
The Mavin Records singer had weeks ago,
been the subject of unconfirmed reports that
a deal with the label was in the offing.
Savage, 36, who has had a topsy-turvy year,
was pictured at the Roc Nation offices »
with Don Jazzy and Jay Z. The deal is
expected to be announced officially in the
coming days, with everyone geared up for it.
When the deal is made public, Tiwa officially
becomes a client of the company which also
includes Rihanna, DJ Khaled, Big Sean,
Shakira, Meek Mill, Fabolous, DJ Mustard,
Emeli Sande, Angie Martinez and more. The
singer has long been argued as the best
female artiste in Africa, with her market
value so high, that it has crossover potential.
This has been the year of African music.
With the exploits of Wizkid so far, there has
been a concerted global campaign towards
African pop music. Davido has a deal with
Sony » , and Ayo Jay just got signed to
RCA » . There are still rumours of more in
the making, with the continent being opened
up and labels marking up their territories as
experts forecast an arms race to grab the best
acts with crossover potential.
The benefits of this deal are immense for
Tiwa Savage. It has the potential to make
Tiwa Savage the first Nigerian female pop
star to crossover into international and
perhaps, global recognition. There
opportunities for better management and
collaborations could help amplify her talent
and image in the Western market, thereby
enabling more penetration and profit.
Then there’s also the spillover of this back
home. Tiwa Savage is already a colossus in
the country, but deals like this could help
push past her previous ceilings of earnings,
thereby increasing her market value, her
performance fees, and endorsement fees.
No Nigerian artiste currently has a deal with
Roc Nation, but rumors persist that the deal
could also be extended to others. Two years
ago, US rapper, Wale, suggested to the
powers at the music company that Wizkid
will be a viable signing. But that idea was
never followed through. He would have been
the first Nigerian pop star to clinch a deal of
this magnitude.
African Music is currently growing in the
West, with many known voices identifying
with the sounds originating from these
shores. Tiwa Savage’s deal is a clear
manifestation of this trend. She is the biggest
female artiste in Africa, with huge crossover
potential, and this deal proves it.