My son will not do music – Tiwa Savage

Nigerian Afrobeats queen Tiwa Savage has openly stated that she would not advise her son, Jamal, to follow in her footsteps and pursue a career in music.

During an interview with Afrobeats Intelligence, hosted by Joey Akan, she discussed the challenges of motherhood and her career.

When speaking about her son’s potential interest in music, Tiwa emphasized her reluctance, citing the industry’s high demands and low success rates. She expressed concern about the mental and financial strain that artists often experience.

Tiwa acknowledged the difficulties artists face in maintaining their relevance, admitting that sustaining a successful career is challenging, even after achieving hits.

She said: “The rate of success is very slim. If you are fortunate enough to have hits, your career lifespan might not extend beyond ten years; it could even be less than five years. It’s harder to maintain a lucrative career. Mentally, imagine being an artist who isn’t making as much as people think you are, yet you must live as if you are.”

Additionally, the award-winning singer discussed the struggle of balancing her career and family life, particularly during the lockdown when her home studio blurred the lines between work and family time. She revealed that she often worked late into the night, which limited the time she could spend with her son.

“During the lockdown, I had a studio at home and I was trying to learn how to record myself. I ended up spending countless hours there, sometimes not even recording, just listening to music or watching something until 2 a.m. I realized I wasn’t spending enough time with my son, and it wasn’t good for me because I couldn’t separate work from home. Work was in my home, and I didn’t like that. I wanted to be able to leave work behind and come home, especially for my son,” she recounted.

Tiwa also reflected on the pressure she faced in the early stages of her career when people wanted her to fit a specific mold, branding her as “the African Rihanna.”

She recounted the skepticism her unique blend of R&B and Afrobeats received, with some labels doubting its commercial viability.

“Everyone would say, ‘You’re a great singer, you look amazing,’ but it was always accompanied by, ‘Let’s think about it,’ and I never got the call back,” she added.