South African Grammy winner Tyla appears to have rejected an apology made on her behalf by Nigerian superstar Tiwa Savage regarding a recent controversy over racial identity.
The “Water” hitmaker made a bold statement during a performance in New York over the weekend, telling the crowd she is “not sorry” for identifying as “coloured.
“The issue began when Tyla faced heavy backlash from some Black Americans for publicly identifying as “coloured.” While the term is a widely accepted and official classification for people of mixed-race descent in South Africa, it is considered an offensive and derogatory slur in the United States due to its historical context.
In response to the backlash against Tyla, Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage recently appeared on the American radio show “The Breakfast Club.” Declaring herself as Tyla’s “elder,” Savage tendered an apology to the African-American community on behalf of the South African singer.
Savage’s apology, however, sparked an uproar among South Africans. Many took to social media to berate the Nigerian star for speaking on behalf of a South African artist without, as they argued, a proper understanding of their country’s specific cultural and racial terminology.
During her performance at the Global Citizen Festival in New York, Tyla addressed the situation in her own way. Just before performing her song ‘Mr Media,’ she declared to the audience, “Sorry, I am not sorry,” a statement widely interpreted as her disassociating herself from the apology made by Tiwa Savage.
The move has been met with widespread praise from Tyla’s fellow South Africans. Thousands of online users have shared clips of her on-stage declaration, hailing her for standing firm on her identity and refusing to apologize for using a term that is an integral part of her country’s culture.
