Tiwatope Omolara Savage, known professionally as Tiwa Savage, is a 45-year-old Nigerian singer born on February 5, 1980, in Isale Eko, Lagos. She is widely called the Queen of Afrobeats and remains one of the most successful African female artists today.
Before Fame
Tiwa left Lagos at age 11 and moved to London with her family. As a teenager, she started singing professionally and became a backup vocalist for George Michael and Mary J. Blige in the UK. She studied Accounting and graduated from Kent Business School, working briefly as an accountant before fully committing to music.
Career
Her breakout came in 2010 with Kele Kele Love, which became an instant hit. In 2012, she signed with Mavin Records and released her debut album Once Upon a Time in 2013, featuring hits like Eminado and Ife Wa Gbona.
She followed up with R.E.D in 2015 and Celia in 2020, plus several EPs including Sugarcane in 2017 with the chart-topping Ma Lo featuring Wizkid. In 2016, she became the first African woman to sign with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
After leaving Mavin in 2019, she signed a global deal with Universal Music Group. A major milestone came in 2023 when she performed at Prince Charles’ coronation at Westminster Abbey, which was a rare honor for an African artist.
She has won Best African Act at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards and became the first African woman to sell out London’s Indigo O2.
Trivia
Tiwa is the first African woman to win Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards. She performed at the British royal coronation in 2023. In December 2025, she broke down crying performing Somebody’s Son at a festival in Benin Republic, opening up about being too strong for too long. She has a brother named Sola.
Family Life
Tiwa married music executive Tunji Balogun in November 2013, and they had a son named Jamil in 2015. She filed for divorce in 2018 after four years of marriage and has been single since then, focusing on raising her son. She has been open about wanting love and family but will not compromise her peace.
Net Worth
Tiwa’s net worth sits around 10 million dollars, roughly 10 billion Naira as of 2025, making her one of Nigeria’s wealthiest female musicians.