Considering the stride some of our Nigerian A-list artists like Tiwa Savage had already attained and the ongoing global success they continue to achieve, for all the hype it worth, signing her recent international recording agreement with Universal Music Group feels so glamorous in the media but I will argue that history has proven time and time again that some of these deals hasn’t effectively deliver the goods in comparison to the hype.

Words By Sesan Adeniji

In a world where global music success for all African musicians is a product of local dominance and relevance, the gray area of signing a record deal with any of the big four conglomerates, which often put artists at disadvantage of not being in control of their creative process by allowing the companies to tinker with their sound to suit their targeted new market should be a major concern. Any artists that snooze in this industry often lose. Even an International collaboration without deep-rooted local content is not a savior.

As long as these record companies are not truly ready to invest locally and employ local talents that understand the sound and the music terrain to work on their African signees, any international tinkering is a detriment to the musicians. Go read about the failed relationship within Sunny Ade and Island Records, Majek Fashek and Interscope Records and even recently, Davido’s initial dealings with Sony Music Entertainment. Until Davido took creative control of his music when he released ‘IF’, Sony’s initial music experimentation ‘How Long’ featuring Tinashe failed.

Come to think of it, If global marketing distribution is the yardstick for signing an international deal, then super stars like Tiwa Savage should have floated her own indie record label; sign herself then sign a distribution deal with UMG. If they truly believe in her talent, if the bottom line is assured for both parties considering her vast audience all over the world, then this should have been a better deal. Internationally, Tiwa could sign exclusive song writing or management deal but signing a record deal that might affect how far her music will resonate in the coming months is one that is puzzling. All in all, I wish her well. She Rocks.