Hello? I can’t hear you.
Hey Vogue, this is Tiwa Savage.
I’m a singer-songwriter,
Afrobeat musician actually, to be precise.
I have three musicians
that you absolutely have to have on your radar.
So, I am at home. Welcome.
I’m actually in Lagos, Nigeria, dealing with the lockdown.
The Afrobeats scene is very exciting right now.
The music has been very popular in Africa, obviously,
but to see it grow beyond Africa,
I feel so blessed that I’m a part of that.
It’s incredible, it’s history.
-Hello! -Hamzaa!
Hamzaa is a powerhouse.
Her tone is just amazing.
Her songs seem to have a story that you can identify with.
Thank you for joining me.
Oh my God, I’m so excited.
I’ve kind of described what I think your sound is,
but how would you describe you?
I would say it’s
like a soul-pop fusion kind of thing.
I feel like it’s just a blend of all the things
that I kind of grew up listening to
and the things that I’m inspired by.
-Were you born in London? -Yes, I was born in London.
My mum’s from Kenya
and my dad is from Zambia.
-So, I’m fully African. -Wow.
Yes, yes.
There are a lot of African artists
that are not necessarily doing Afrobeat,
but are killing it. [taps table]
That’s why it was really important for me to speak to you.
I listen to like Hard to Love,
your Mahogany Session,
and it’s just completely different.
This is a different artist.
You can do Afrobeat, you can do soul,
you can do R&B.
We can’t run away from being versatile, that’s a gift.
I shouldn’t be afraid to step out
and do things like that,
because some people would say,
“Oh, you shouldn’t, like, confuse your fans.”
It’s not about that.
As an artist,
if you’re going to be invested in me,
the music that I put out
should just kind of suffice, I guess.
When I was in London,
it wasn’t cool to be African.
I was called everything.
And now it’s just... It’s just a thing.
It’s probably like the coolest thing.
Yes, yes.
What can we check out, like, what can we look out for?
I’m working on a little project,
a little collection of music,
just to put out for you guys.
Amazing.
I obviously love your music, I think you’re extremely talented,
so thank you.
The internet, social media,
I think it was very instrumental in the growth of Afrobeat music.
A record would come out
and would be a hit out here in Nigeria or Kenya, or wherever,
and it would probably not be a hit to Africans in diaspora in London
for like another eight months.
But with social media it’s instant,
you know, you don’t necessarily have to be African
or have been to Africa,
you could just tap on someone’s social media.
So, I can start calling Efya.
-Hello.
Efya’s music is very soulful.
She’s so talented she could do anything.
She could do reggae, she could do pop,
she could do R&B.
She does everything and she does it effortlessly.
Why are you looking so hot?
Like, where you going?
This is isolation.
I’ve been isolated,
I’ve been at home, just recording,
trying to finish our song.
How would you describe your sound?
The base has always been soul
because of the kind of music
that I grew up listening to.
I wanted to be a film director,
just like my dad.
He’s like one of my heroes.
Till one day, I was editing
in my mum’s office,
and then I go to the hotel that we work at
and there’s a singing competition,
and I was like...
I sang a gospel song and they picked me.
And the rest is history.
I know I don’t like people putting me on the spot to sing, but...
I’ll sing for you, baby. I’ll sing for you.
I get asked a lot, like,
“Is it difficult being a woman?”
And, you know, music in general,
“Is it difficult just being a woman in Africa?”
It is difficult for women, definitely.
But I feel like women like us
have been able to stand strong,
so that it can be easier
for the next generations.
Yes, of course.
Well, I definitely am so happy you joined me.
I told y’all!
-Thank you so much. -Thank you.
Blessings, sis. [call ends]
Well, my journey has been long.
I started out as a backup singer to George Michael, Mary J Blige,
Lemar, Emma Bunton...
I also did songwriting as well.
It was very difficult, at first,
to break into the market as a woman.
It was tough and it still is tough.
Now, just seeing other girls, just seeing how bold they are,
yeah. I’m excited, I feel... I’m proud.
Wavy, unavailable.
She’s not picking up!
All right, Wavy.
So, I want you to describe your sound to everyone at Vogue.
My sound is just Wavy.
It’s anything I want it to be, to be fair.
I kind of knew you more on the, like, photography aspect,
before I even got into your sound.
So, did you always know
that you were eventually going to go into music?
No, I actually never wanted to, like, be
in the forefront of anything that I did.
I always liked being behind the scenes.
So, that’s why I like photography.
Yeah, it was very comfortable for me,
because I’m very introverted.
I saw the reception that it got
and it was just mind-blowing.
And it’s just like this other side of me
that I never knew that I even had.
Your fashion is unique.
Is that really important to you, your image?
I feel like everything that I do
is like an extension of me.
With music, I’m just starting to, you know,
learn how much I can do with it
and how far I can take it.
And with fashion,
it’s always been a part of me,
right from when I was little,
I always loved to, like, go and do the most
with my fashion.
And, you know, stand out.
Oh, you stand out,
because we’ve been out a couple of places together [laughs].
You are now representing new-age Africans
who didn’t have a voice before.
Being comfortable with who they are,
how they want to dress.
Just really powerful.
And I want to tell you how important you are.
I know you’re working on a project.
I don’t know if I should say that out,
but oops, I did!
I am, I am. It’s exciting,
it’s really exciting.
I can’t wait for it to be out.
Thank you so much for joining me.
Thank you for having me.
Thank you.
You guys check her out, Wavy.
You truly... I love you and I’m a fan. Good luck.
Thank you, thank you so much.
Hey Vogue, this is Tiwa Savage.
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