Tiwa Savage – 49:99

The No1 African Queen and steady rising international star, TIWA SAVAGE just released her long awaiting Single “49:99” as her first global single release since singing to Motown/Capital Records under the Universal Misic Group. The song, which which is a gritty Afropop and R’N’B fusion, takes its title “49:99” from a term coined by the late great Afrobeat Legend Fela Kuti.

The term describes the hard life many Nigerians go through using the imagery of a public transformation bus popularly known as a “MÒLUÈ” in the land of Nigeria where Tiwa Savage is originally from.

Molue Bus – Visual representation of 49 seated: 99 standing

This concept first came up in 1978 when Fela Kuti included the line  “49 sitting, 99 standing” in his “Shuffering and Shmiling” track, as a way to explain that the transport carrier actually seats 49 people but twice as many people on the bus are standing (99). This was to illustrate the unbalanced distribution of wealth and access to basic standards of living in Nigeria. Many Year’s later, Tiwa has used the same line to describe the poverty and injustice that is still going on in NIGERIA Today.

The gritty dance track with a powerful message is accompanied by beautiful visuals, shot by Meji Alabi, that made references to the history of Africa. Most notably the scenes of Tiwa and her crew in blue schoolgirl uniforms while also wearing traditionally African hairstyles, taken from Eliot Elisofon’s iconic 70s portraits of Congolese schoolgirls.

“49:99” is Tiwa Savages first official single of 2019 and it is such an incredible song that actually has a message we can all take from. Congratulations Queen.