Tawiah (pronounced Taa-We-Ah) is a British alternative-

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

singer and songwriter based in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Early life

Tawiah was born to

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

ian parents in

Battersea Battersea is a large district in south London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and extends along the south bank of the River Thames. It includes the Battersea Park. History Batter ...

, South West London, where she grew up with her two brothers on the 18th floor of a council estate. She describes her childhood as filled with church, laughter and playing out on the block. Tawiah was raised in a

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

household honing her early singing capabilities as a young praise and worship leader in the Gospal Choir. Inspired by

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, R&B and

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

she also learned to play the piano, guitar and clarinet. She attended Burntwood Academy for girls singing in their classical choir, she was nominated by her music teacher for a place at the BRIT School, which she was successful in gaining.

Musical career

Tawiah crouching (high res) photo credit Studio Myrrh

Tawiah self-released her EP ''In Jodi's Bedroom'' (Bush Girl Records) and ''Recreate'' on Lima Limo Records. In 2019, she released her debut album ''Starts Again'' on First Word Records. In 2018, she toured ''Recreate'' with Moses Sumney and in 2020 ''Starts Again'' with Michael Kiwanuka. Tawiah has also worked in collaboration with artists including Blood Orange,

Kindness Kindness is a type of behavior marked by acts of generosity, consideration, rendering assistant or concern for others, without expecting praise or reward in return. Kindness is a topic of interest in philosophy, religion, and psychology. Kin ...

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Robbi ...

, Cee-Lo, Kano, Wiley,

Ghostpoet Obaro Ejimiwe (born 18 January 1983) is a British singer, songwriter and musician better known by his stage name Ghostpoet. His first album, ''Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam'', was shortlisted for the 2011 Mercury Prize. His 2015 album ''S ...

, Zed Bias and

Eric Lau Eric Lau is a British music producer and DJ from London, England. His production style is characterized by heavy drums, often unrecognisable samples and a mixture of live and sequenced instrumentation. Career Lau first gained exposure with the ...

. She co-wrote and performed the

Cinematic Orchestra The Cinematic Orchestra is a British nu jazz and downtempo music group created in 1999 by Jason Swinscoe. The group is signed to independent record label Ninja Tune. The Cinematic Orchestra have produced four studio albums, ''Motion'' (1999), ...

's single " Wait for Now". Her work has received acclaim and coverage from

OkayPlayer Okayplayer is an online hip-hop and alternative music website and community, described by ''Rolling Stone'' as a "tastemaker" and "an antidote to dull promotional Web sites used by most artists". The community was founded by The Roots' drummer ...

The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...

Afropunk Afro-punk (sometimes spelled Afro-Punk, Afropunk or AfroPunk) refers to the participation of African Americans and other Black people in punk and alternative subcultures, especially in the United States. History The term originated from the 200 ...

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

iD Magazine ''I.D.'' (''The International Design Magazine'') was a magazine covering the art, business, and culture of design. It was published eight times a year by F+W Media. History ''I.D.'' was founded in 1954 as ''Industrial Design''. The name was late ...

, Complex, Stylist, Refinery, London in Stereo,

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...

and

Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an enginee ...

, to name a few, and personal accolades have come far and wide over the years, from Quincy Jones to Adele,

Jeff Goldblum Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum (; born October 22, 1952) is an American actor and musician. He has starred in some of the highest-grossing films of his era, such as ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and '' Independence Day'' (1996), as well as their sequels. ...

and

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...

Discography

Albums

*''Starts Again'' (2019)

EPs

*''In Jodi's Bedroom'' (2007) *''Freedom Drop'' (2013) *''Recreate'' (2017)

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Living people British soul singers 21st-century Black British women singers English people of Ghanaian descent Singers from London People from Battersea Year of birth missing (living people)