Aristokrat Records and Island Def Jam Recordings fast-rising artiste, Gloria Asene Enebi popularly known as Ria Sean, has released a special Spotify album, Kele Kele, as a tribute to mark the 10th anniversary of Tiwa Savage’s groundbreaking album.
Spotify’s Artiste and Label Partnerships Manager for West Africa, Victor Okpala disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos. “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,” Okpala said.
He noted that to celebrate Tiwa Savage’s decade-long career and debut album, Spotify released data to give a glimpse into how popular Once Upon a Timehad been since its release. Okpala added that 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 Okpala, Kele Kele Love is the first song by Tiwa Savage to surpass one million streams on Spotify. He added that the single by Ria Sean would be available exclusively on Spotify.
He stated that Tiwa Savage’s music transcended borders as evidenced by its presence on user-generated playlists with her tracks having found their way on over four million user playlists.
“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 every time, for everywhere and for everybody.”
