The Japan Times - Afrobeats' Tiwa Savage nurtures Africa's future talent

The multi-talented Savage, a prominent face in Nigeria's flourishing music scene, recently brought together 100 young, aspiring artists -- selected from 2,000 applications -- for instrumental workshops, vocal coaching and masterclasses on the inner workings of the music industry.

The group is the first cohort of her newly established music foundation.

Savage is partnering with the prestigious Berklee College of Music in the United States, where she studied around two decades ago.

"When I'm no longer here, I'm praying that a recipient of this foundation will be the next Michael Jackson, the next Quincy Jones, the next Wizkid, the next great artist or producer or songwriter," said the artist, whose global hits include "Koroba" and "Kele Kele".

Born in Lagos 46 years ago as Tiwatope Omolara Savage and raised partly in Britain, she established herself in the early 2010s after returning to Nigeria.

She is one of the most influential female voices in Afrobeats, a genre that has attracted a global audience by blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, with its roots in Nigeria.

Vocal drills, musical notes and frequent peals of laughter echoed from the classrooms where Berklee tutors worked with the students.

"I'm evolving as a beat maker and producer, and refining my piano artistry," said 24-year-old student Aliyu Olukoya, who called the experience "amazing".

The instructors from Berklee -- which is extending its academic programme for the first time to the cultural behemoth that is Africa's most populous country -- adjusted and corrected the students as Savage watched closely.

"Being secure in who you are and what you have to offer, even in a competitive environment, is your superpower, and that's what we teach here," said vocal coach Nichelle J. Mungo, 51, whom Savage met at Berklee.

- 'Too good to just compete locally' -

Savage recalled seeing very few African students at the East Coast American college.

It was there that she started nurturing the idea of making it easier for young Africans to access high-level musical training.

"The problem isn't lack of talent or gift," she told AFP. "The problem is access -- access to education, music education in particular."

"As a musician in whatever capacity, you need to study the industry, especially the global industry, because we're too good to just compete locally," she said.

If Afrobeats is to match the staying power of R&B or rock'n'roll, Savage believes the entire ecosystem needs to become more professional.

"If we only focus on the artists, how are we going to sustain the industry for many, many years and decades to come?" she said, urging the professional development of producers, sound engineers, songwriters and marketers.

She also aims to raise the profile of talented artists who lack visibility due to limited resources, in a country marked by deep social inequalities.

"I see so much talent," she said, referring to already highly skilled musicians forced to practise without regular access to instruments.

Several young artists have already caught the attention of the Berklee professors who came to Nigeria to teach.

After their concert at the National Theatre in Lagos, 18 students received scholarships to Berklee, with a total value of $2.1 million.

At the popular music hub in Lagos, the Muson Centre, singer Irene Ugwuorah said that being one of the 100 artists selected for the new foundation was a "great opportunity".

"At every moment, at every turn, there's always something to learn. I'm already gaining a lot and I hope to use every single minute to gather as much knowledge as I can to help me grow as an artist," Ugwuorah said.

Savage's foundation provides the training for free and she hopes that will also make it accessible to people from other African countries.

"I definitely, definitely want to make this pan-African. It has to be pan-African. Talent doesn't stop in Nigeria. It's everywhere," she said.

H.Hayashi--JT