By Taiye Olayemi
Rising Nigerian musician, Ria Sean, has released a special Spotify single, “Kele Kele”, as a tribute to mark the 10th anniversary of Tiwa Savage’s groundbreaking album, “Once Upon A Time”.
Victor Okpala, Spotify’s Artiste and Label Partnerships Manager for West Africa, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.
Okpala said that the single would be available exclusively on Spotify.
“Kele Kele is one of 21 tracks on Once Upon a Time that captures the essence of Tiwa Savage’s artistry and introduces her unique sound to the world.
“The song is familiar to just about every Afrobeats fan and it’s still a staple at Afrobeats raves and club nights across Africa.
“With Ria Sean’s distinct talent and style, fans can expect a fresh and captivating rendition of the song, which breathes new life into the timeless classic,” he said.
Okpala noted that to celebrate Tiwa Savage’s decade-long career and her debut album, Spotify had released a data to give a glimpse into how popular “Once Upon a Time” had been since release.
He said among the tracks featured on the album, the standout hit that had continued to captivate listeners was “Eminado”, featuring the legendary Don Jazzy.
According to him, the song is the first song by Tiwa Savage to surpass one million streams on Spotify.
He said Tiwa Savage’s music transcended borders as evidenced by its presence on user-generated playlists with her tracks having found their way onto over four million user playlists.
He explained that “Ma Lo”, a chart-topping collaboration with Wizkid, topped the list of most playlisted tracks and also became the first track in her discography to reach an impressive 10 million streams.
He noted that “Stamina” topped the list as her most exported song among listeners in the 18-35 age group, followed by “Loaded”, while her collaboration with Asake, and her track “Koroba” rounds out the top three.
“Several countries stand out as major hubs for streaming Once Upon a Time in 2023. Nigeria, Tiwa Savage’s home country, demonstrates a strong connection to her music, with a significant portion of her global fan base located there, accounting for 23 per cent of the streams.
“This is followed by the United States at 20 per cent, the United Kingdom at 15 per cent, Canada at six per cent and France also at six per cent.
“Once Upon a Time marked a significant turning point in the African music landscape and it showcased Tiwa’s undeniable talent.
“Over the past ten years, Tiwa Savage has played a significant role in expanding the global reach of African music,” he said.
Speaking about the importance of the song, Ria Sean said, “Kele Kele love was the first time I discovered Tiwa. She is a big inspiration to me.
“When I saw that video on TV, the song, everything just spoke to me like Yooo! The original version was more Afro-pop but I tried to switch it up to be very alternative. The track is for everytime, for everywhere and for everybody.” (NAN)
