Tiwa Savage, a Nigerian artist, shared her experience of being stopped from performing on stage because of her outfit choice during her early career. In a conversation with BET Talks, she discussed her move from music to film, having recently acted in and executive produced her first feature film, ‘Water & Garri.’ Tiwa Savage revealed that she faced discrimination in the Nigerian music industry at the beginning of her career due to her bold clothing and style. She mentioned that she was heavily criticized, had her songs banned on terrestrial radio, and was even prevented from performing due to her provocative clothing and sensual music.
Additionally, Tiwa Savage highlighted similar experiences faced by other female artists, citing instances where they were overlooked and unable to conduct soundchecks. She recounted instances where she was told she couldn’t perform at shows due to her outfit when she first returned to Nigeria. Despite these challenges, she emphasized that she persevered and embraced her identity as a sex symbol, choosing to assert her style by wearing shorter dresses and more revealing shirts.