Tiwa Savage living her fairytale

Tiwa Savage needs no introduction, the First Lady of Mavin Records is the hottest and most bankable female act in Nigeria today with endorsement deals from Pepsi to Diageo. She has also added actor and TV show hostess to her resume. Set to wed her heartthrob, Tee Billz this November, Tiwa Savage spoke to Peju Akande and Toni Kan about fame and her life right now. This is officially the Tiwa Savage year; your album, you are getting married, your endorsements and all; you are on EL with Banky, how did that happen? (Laughing) I was contacted by Mo. She explained to me; she had this network and she wanted me to do a talk show. But I wanted something a little different; I wanted something like a Regis and Kelly type of programme. And she was very supportive and she really gave us her blessings and her full backing and it was great. And we decided the only person that could do that was Banky and he was a perfect match. The chemistry is good, how did you know it would work? Because we are also friends outside of the industry and I know that he is a very, very intelligent person and someone that knows a lot about the kind of the issues our generation needs to know. You are also on MTV Base's Shuga, how did that come about? We didn’t know you were an actress. Actually the director had spoken to MTV because he saw my video ife wa gbona. He saw something in the way I acted and he wanted to explore that part of my talent and it was great. How was it going from singing to acting? It’s been good; it wasn’t as nerve wracking as I thought it would be. The only thing is that I forgot my lines but I did really good. Your album, why is it called Once upon a Time? It’s a story, and I think my life in the music industry has been an amazing story and I wanted it to inspire and encourage other people. You came back from abroad to Nigeria; people are moving abroad, what made you come back? Because I feel Africa is the future of the world and I feel that there are a lot of untapped resources and talents out here. I really wanted to be a part of that evolution. You’ve done so well in how many years, endorsements; acting…do you sometimes pinch yourself, like is this real? Yes, sometimes. I always give glory to God. Everything that happened needs a lot of work, a lot of dedication, a lot of prayers and I have a great team around me and they keep me grounded. What is it about stars music in a bottle? I think it’s great, merging the two worlds and star has always supported music and music artist bridging the gap between the two industries and their family and loved ones. Catch Tiwa on the Banky & Tiwa Show on Tuesdays at 22:30 on EbonyLife TV from 12 November.