Biography: Age, Son, Songs, Albums & Career

Tiwa Savage is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and performer whose fusion of Afrobeats, R&B and pop helped place women at the centre of modern African music’s global expansion. Born in Lagos and raised partly in London, she developed as a backing vocalist, songwriter and Berklee-trained musician before returning to Nigeria to build a solo career.

Songs including “Kele Kele Love,” “Eminado,” “Ma Lo,” “Koroba” and “Somebody’s Son” carried her voice across generations and markets. On her official X account, she shares new work and speaks directly to her audience. Her career now extends beyond performance into film, mentorship and the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation.

Early Life and Creative Roots

Tiwa Savage was born Tiwatope Savage on 5 February 1980 in Lagos, Nigeria. Her name and Lagos origin are supported by an Allure cover interview, while her own reported 45th-birthday announcement confirms the date and year. She is 46 as of 26 July 2026. Her family moved to London when she was 11.

An in-depth Berklee alumni interview records that she played trombone at school before moving towards singing. At 16, she entered professional music as a backing vocalist, learning rehearsals, touring and performance behind stars including George Michael and Mary J. Blige.

Savage earned an accounting degree from the University of Kent, briefly worked as a trainee accountant and attended studio sessions at night. She eventually chose music full time and studied songwriting, vocal performance and music business at Berklee.

She explained the value of her early supporting role in the Berklee interview:

After Berklee, Savage entered New York and Los Angeles songwriting circles. A Sony/ATV publishing deal followed; she co-wrote Fantasia’s “Collard Greens and Cornbread” and sang background vocals on Whitney Houston’s I Look to You.