Grammy-winning South African singer, Tyla, has reacted to Nigerian singer, Tiwa Savage tendering an apology to Black Americans on her behalf over her “coloured” remarks.
Recall that Tyla sparked a controversy after publicly identifying as “coloured”-a term widely accepted in South Africa to describe people of mixed descent.
However, the word carries a painful history in the United States, where it is considered offensive.
Consequently, Tyla has been heavily backlashed by Americans, especially by the Black community.
In light of this, Tiwa Savage apologised to the African-American community on Tyla’s behalf, during a recent appearance on American show The Breakfast Club, declaring herself as the ‘Water’ hitmaker’s “elder.”
Savage’s apology triggered an uproar from South Africans, who berated her for speaking for one of their own without having a proper understanding of their identity and racial terminology.
Tyla also subtly sent a message that the Nigerian singer’s apology does not represent her by declaring that she is “not sorry” during her performance at the Global Citizen Festival in New York over the weekend.
“Sorry, I am not sorry,” she declared before performing her song ‘Mr Media.’
Meanwhile, fellow South Africans have been hailing Tyla for disassociating herself from Tiwa Savage’s apology.
Thousands of South African online users shared clip of Tyla’s subtle message across social media platforms, praising her for standing firm on her race/identity.
