Tiwa Savage Decodes “Eminado” and Teases Don Jazzy: “You Keep Saying It Means Lucky Charm”

Singer Tiwa Savage has playfully reopened the meaning behind one of her biggest early-career hits, “Eminado,” suggesting that Don Jazzy may be giving fans a deliberately cheeky explanation of what the title really means. According to the remark circulating online, Tiwa said she feels Don Jazzy is “being cheeky” by repeatedly describing Eminado as a “lucky charm,” while joking that her own decoding of the Yoruba expression points to something else.

Released in 2013 as part of Tiwa Savage’s debut album Once Upon a Time, “Eminado” featured Don Jazzy and became one of the defining songs of the singer’s early Afrobeats career. The official music video was released in November 2013, while the song went on to attract major award recognition.

Tiwa Savage Turns an Old Hit Into a New Mystery

The beauty of Tiwa Savage’s latest comment is that it takes a song many fans have known for more than a decade and suddenly gives it a fresh layer of mystery. For years, Eminado has generally been presented as meaning “good-luck charm,” and that interpretation has become closely associated with the song itself.

But Tiwa Savage appears to be suggesting that Don Jazzy’s explanation may not tell the whole story. In the spirit of Nigerian music-industry banter, the singer’s playful “decoding” turns an innocent-looking title into something that sounds like it may have been hiding another meaning in plain sight. And naturally, once a musician says “I decoded it,” the internet is going to want the decoder ring.

Don Jazzy, Eminado and a 2013 Classic

Whatever the linguistic joke behind the latest remark, the musical history is undeniable. Eminado was produced by Don Jazzy and released by Tiwa Savage during the period when she was establishing herself as one of Nigeria’s leading female Afrobeats stars. The song appeared on her debut album Once Upon a Time and its official video remains one of the notable visual releases from that era.

The song also enjoyed significant industry recognition. “Eminado” received nominations at major award events, while its video won the Most Gifted Female Video category at the 2014 Channel O Music Video Awards. Don Jazzy was also recognised for his work on the song at the 2014 All Africa Music Awards.

For now, Tiwa Savage’s comment appears to be playful rather than a serious dispute with Don Jazzy. Still, whenever two Afrobeats veterans start arguing over the secret meaning of a classic song, fans are unlikely to simply press play and move on. OGM News NG will be watching to see whether Don Jazzy responds—or whether he decides to leave “Eminado” permanently locked inside the Mavin archives.