Tiwa Savage Will Make Her Acting Debut in ‘Water & Garri,’ Which She’s Also Executive Producing

Afrobeats superstar Tiwa Savage is set to make her acting debut in Water & Garri, which was announced Thursday (April 4). The new film will premiere on Prime Video on May 10.

Directed by Meji Alabi, Water & Garri tells the story of Aisha (played by Savage), an ambitious fashion designer who has spent the last 10 years in the U.S. and returns to her native country following a family bereavement. “At home, things have changed — violence has escalated and tensions have been high. As she reconnects with family, old friends, and her past love, she must learn to live with her scars and confront the guilt she left behind,” a press release accompanying the announcement said.

Mike Afolarin (Far From Home), Andrew Bunting (Dynamite) and Jemima Osunde (New Money) will star alongside Savage in the dramatic new movie, which was filmed in Cape Coast, Ghana. Savage, Vannessa Amadi-Ogbonna, Jimi Adesanya and Meji Alabi are all listed as executive producers. The Prime Video film will be available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.   

Water & Garri is also the title of Savage’s five-track EP from 2021, which featured collaborations with Nas and Rich King (“Work Fada”), Amaarae (“Tales By Moonlight”), Brandy (“Somebody’s Son”) and Tay Iwar (“Special Kinda”). Pharrell Williams hailed the project as “a classic.” Savage’s last full-length album was 2020’s Celia, which reached No. 15 on Billboard‘s World Albums chart. The African Bad Gyal recently linked up with ODUMODUBLVCK on “100 Million,” which was featured on last month’s Billboard‘s Afrobeats Fresh Picks column.