Afrobeats superstar Tiwa Savage has opened up about her journey from feeling ashamed of her African identity while growing up in London to celebrating it with pride, thanks to the global success of Afrobeats.
Speaking at the Unstoppable Africans event, the award-winning singer credited the genre’s meteoric rise for transforming how the world views Africa and its people.
“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,” she said. “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.”
Savage dismissed claims that Afrobeats is losing momentum, insisting that the genre’s influence is only expanding through record-breaking chart placements and sold-out global tours.
“There was a conversation at one point that Afrobeats would have its 15 minutes of fame and then fade away. But we are still here. We are not slowing down. We’re filling out stadiums and topping the charts,” she stated.
Highlighting Africa’s vast cultural and demographic power, Tiwa noted: “Apparently, one in every four Black persons is Nigerian or 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.”
Her inspiring words reaffirm Afrobeats’ position as a global cultural force and a symbol of pride for Africans everywhere.
