Tiwa Savage’s Performance at Coronation Concert

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

When Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records released Beyonce’s Lion King: The Gift album in July 2019 with stellar features from artistes around the globe, no one foresaw any of the 27 songs becoming one to feature at a king’s coronation. ‘Keys to the Kingdom’, a song originated from the Beyoncé’s award-winning album where the American pop star collaborated with the duo of Nigerian Tiwa Savage and Mr. Eazi.

Tiwa Savage was a scene in shimmering green while performing “Keys to the Kingdom” at the coronation concert in London last Sunday at Windsor Castle in England. The coronation concert was part of the celebrations of the coronation of King Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the other Commonwealth realms that took place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The concert also featured performances from global music icons like Lionel Richie, Nicole Scherzinger, Katy Perry, Olly Murs, Paloma Faith, Freya Ridings, Alexis Ffrench, Andrea Bocelli, and Sir Bryn Terfel. Tiwa Savage’s performance showcased her exceptional vocal abilities and celebrated Nigerian artistry.

Her performance had some fans torn. Naturally, fans and viewers flooded social media with a mixture of opinions. Despite the mixed reactions, the mother of one seemed pleased with her performance and shared her performance, tweeting, “One day I will tell my son that this is ‘Tiwa Savage.’” Introduced as the “Queen of Afrobeats” as she took to the stage to deliver a peerless piece that roused the audience, its one indelible moment for the singer.

While some have argued for or against the suitability of the song, it however remained that the ‘Kelekele Love’ crooner did give a good account of her performance of the song. A critic noted this thought-provoking performance not only reignited discussions about the British monarchy’s historical association with imperialism but also raised questions about the suitability of her song choice – a song dedicated to Black ancestry and African pride.