Singer Tiwa Savage now "Wanted"

                          Tiwa Savage is the recent MAMAs Best female artiste

Strutting her elements as she gyrates in a see me through Rihanna kind of nude ‘cover’ on what seems like an under bridge, Tiwa Savage rocks it up in her new controversial video Wanted.

The new African music queen goes bold in the entire video, wailing  seductively as she echoes the lyrics of the song.

Just like Sauti Sol’s Nishike did the Kenyan boy band, the new video presents a new side of the otherwise adored singer who is now receiving a major public backlash thanks to the semi nude show.

After scores plastered hate comments on her wall through out last week, a Nigerian housewife wrote her an open letter on Monday, putting everything in black and white.

“…Tiwa, from inception, you have been perceived to be an Ambassador of the Youth. You represented the quintessential sexy female role-model, especially in the entertainment world. When we listen to your songs, it sends a message across to the youth. There is always something to ‘take home’ in your songs…We just loved you and your music.

“After all these and then the next thing we get from you is…’Wanted’! It was simply too much for some of us to handle. We were so shocked because for some of us, we thought “So she don join Maheeda group of companies!” Please do not blame the fans for reacting the way they did…My advice?…Please do not give into the pressure of “Sex Sells” attitude in the music industry. We are shouting that today’s Nigerian youth are losing their sense of culture and sense of self…” the open letter read in part.

The singer has one of the most colourful music biographies in Nigeria with her songs making millions of sales.

Her single Ife Wa Gbona (featuring Leo Wonder) hit 1.6 million YouTube views with Love Me and Without My Heart scoring each over 800,000 views.

Her other hits Kele Kele, From My Head to My Heart, Drummer Boy and Friday Clothes also scored big in media reviews.

But just who is Tiwa Sage?

It is her multicultural upbringing that could probably pose the answer to the Tiwa Sage we are watching now as she has lived in different worlds.

The versatile singer was born in Lagos after which her family relocated to London after she turned eleven.

While still in High School, she was a trombone player for her school’s orchestra.

She did backup vocals for George Michael at the age of 16, and lent vocals to other musicians such as Mary J Blige, Chaka Khan, Blu Cantrell, Emma Bunton, Kelly Clarkson, Andrea Bocelli, and Ms. Dynamite, among others.

Savage enrolled at Berklee College of Music and graduated with a degree in professional music at the age of 27.

While reminiscing about her experiences there, she said that she was motivated by the drive and passion of the younger students.

In 2006, Savage participated in the UK edition of The X Factor, and made it to the final 24 while attending the aforementioned music school.

In 2009, Sony/ATV Music Publishing signed Savage to a music deal. The deal solidified her to write for Babyface, Kat Deluna, Fantasia Barrino, Monica and Mýa. She has received songwriting credits for her contribution to Monica's soul-tinged ballad Catch Me. Moreover, her collaboration with Fantasia on the song Collard Greens & Cornbread earned the American recording artist a Grammy nomination in 2010. Savage wrote Jaicko's Oh Yeah, featuring Snoop Dogg, and Kat Deluna's Push Push, featuring Akon and David Guetta. She also performed background vocals on Whitney Houston’s album I Look to You (2009).

Since then, she has never looked back and has grown to become one of Africa’s fast rising music stars.