Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage is one of the few artists bringing Afrobeats to a wider audience, has spoken candidly about the emotional struggles she faced before performing for King Charles at his coronation.
Behind the captivating and applaud-worthy performance that the world witnessed on the stage at Windsor Castle’s East Lawn was a plethora of emotions that kept her from her ultimate objective.
This was the first time an African was gracing the huge stage and all she could think of was how to impress and what could go wrong.
That notwithstanding, she revealed in an interview that after having a grasp of the microphone and the warm reception she received, it was only prudent to shake away the nervousness.
“I was nervous, I will say the first few seconds. But as soon as I started singing, I said, ‘I have to just get swept away by the crowd’.”
Tiwa started melodiously to sooth the souls of the thousands gathered before transitioning into her usual Afrobeat rhythm.
She incorporated elements of Yoruba language and dance into her performance which attracted applauses from the audiences.
In all, Tiwa’s performance was spectacular and in the days afterwards, she was still the cynosure of the star-studded event.
“It was beautiful [to perform for the King]. It was such an amazing moment to represent the Commonwealth and to be on that stage,” she said amid laughter.