South African Grammy-winning artist Tyla has responded to Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage‘s apology to Black Americans regarding Tyla’s use of the term “coloured.”
Tyla had stirred controversy after identifying herself as “coloured,” a term commonly used in South Africa to describe individuals of mixed heritage. However, in the United States, this word is laden with a painful and offensive history.
This cultural difference led to significant backlash from the American Black community, who found the term inappropriate and hurtful.
In response, Tiwa Savage issued an apology on behalf of Tyla during an interview on the American radio show The Breakfast Club, positioning herself as the “elder” in the music scene and expressing regret for the offense caused.
Her apology, however, sparked criticism from South Africans who felt that Tiwa had overstepped by speaking for Tyla without fully grasping the nuances of South African racial identity and terminology.
During her recent performance at the Global Citizen Festival in New York, Tyla subtly distanced herself from Tiwa’s apology by stating, “Sorry, I am not sorry,” before performing her track ‘Mr Media.’
This statement was widely interpreted as Tyla affirming her own identity and rejecting the need to apologize for her self-description.
Many South Africans have since praised Tyla for asserting her stance and rejecting the apology issued on her behalf, sharing clips of her performance across social media as a show of support for her pride in her heritage.