Warner Chappell Music sign Afro-fusion star Tay Iwar

13 January 2022 - Press release

 

Warner Chappell Music, the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group, has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Nigerian singer, songwriter and producer, Tay Iwar, through its joint venture with The Flight Club.

Tay Iwar is an influential figure within the Nigerian music scene and has collaborated with African stars such as Wizkid, Cruel Santino and M.I. Abaga. He’s released four albums in his career so far; Passport (2014), Renascentia (2016), Gemini (2019), and Gold (2019). Earlier this year he released the EP, Love & Isolation, which has impressed fans and critics alike with the pioneering new sound he’s creating.

Iwar co-wrote the track ‘System’ for Dave’s number one album We’re All Alone In This Together, and produced M.I’s ‘Do You Know Who You Are?’ the lead single from his album A Study on Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl.

Tay Iwar said: “I’ve created music and wrote songs for as long as I can remember, so I’m delighted to sign a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. I’m hugely passionate about all aspects of creating music and I’m looking forward to working with other Warner Chappell writers from around the world.”

Amber Davis, Head of A&R, Warner Chappell Music UK, added: “Tay is one of the most exciting artists in Nigeria right now. He’s an exceptional songwriter, musician and producer, so it’ll be great to see him collaborate with more artists and writers from our roster. We’ve seen the impact African music is having globally and we believe Tay could be the next international star.”

Samuel Ademosu, Director, The Flight Club, concluded: “Tay is a culturally important artist and songwriter within Nigeria and his music has the potential to connect with fans all around the world. He’s already got a wealth of experience writing and releasing music but it feels like he’s only just getting started.”

Iwar, born Austin Iornongu Iwar, began learning classical piano from a young age, and by the time he was 13 years old he was creating music on his computer and collaborating with his two brothers, Sute and Terna Iwar. The brothers became known as the Bantu Collective. 

Aged just 16, he released his debut project, Passport, which earned him a cult following and shot him into the limelight. He followed this up with, Renascentia, which he released exclusively on Soundcloud. The record caught the attention of LA-based collective and label Soulection, who released his next album, Gemini,globally. 

Gemini is Iwar’s most successful album to date and dynamically fuses a number of genres which results in a sound that Iwar describes as "RnB and Afro-fusion".

Following the release of this year’s EP, Iwar is back in the studio writing and recording for his next project.