Listen to Tiwa Savage’s Water and Garri EP

The five-track offering, released on Universal Music South Africa, is available for streaming and download on all major digital platforms. The EP arrives a year after the release of her last album Celia. It is her second mid-length project and fifth collection to date.

Water and Garri derives its name from the local cassava staple, and unifies Tiwa Savage’s global influences – gleaned from her formative years in Lagos, her teenage years in London, and her university years in the US.

It features fellow Nigerian R&B and Afro-fusion artists Tay Iwar and Rich King, Ghana’s Amaarae as well as Americans Nas and Brandy. The project is led by the single ‘Tales By Midnight’. Thematically, Water and Garri addresses the subject of love.

The EP has already received plaudits from MI Abaga, DJ Spinall, Don Jazzy and Efya. In April, Pharrell Williams previewed the project and lauded its sincerity and edginess. “Anybody that doesn’t get that shouldn’t be listening to music. That’s a classic. And be clear that it’s okay to have a classic. That right there, that’s like boat music, that’s like barbeque music, that’s like self-reflection music,” he said.

Tiwa Savage is arguably Nigeria’s most popular female musician at the moment and has collaborated with international stars like Beyoncé and Coldplay. Earlier this year, she was nominated for Outstanding International Song at the 52nd NAACP Image Awards for ‘Tanana’ off Celia. She is also up for three awards ­– Best Female Act, Artist of the Year and Listener’s Choice – at the currently stalled MTV Africa Music Awards.