Nigerian music superstar Tiwa Savage recently opened up about her surprising initial reaction to "Dorobucci," one of Mavin Records’ biggest hit songs. Speaking in an interview with NotJustOk, Tiwa recalled that when she first heard the unfinished track during her wedding trip in Dubai, she thought it was terrible and was far from impressed.
Tiwa revealed that producer Don Jazzy kept playing the instrumental repeatedly at their hotel, but she didn’t realize it was a Mavin Records project at the time. “I didn’t want to tell him, but I thought it was such a crap song,” she confessed. Don Jazzy later urged her to cut her honeymoon short and return to Nigeria to work on the track, saying, “There’s one record you have to come back to Nigeria for.”
On returning to the studio in Nigeria and hearing the finalized version of "Dorobucci," Tiwa was stunned by how different and polished it sounded compared to what she initially heard. She admitted to being flabbergasted and even angry, mentioning that a similar experience happened with another hit of hers, "Eminado," which she didn’t like at first either.
Tiwa was actually the last Mavin artist to record her verse on "Dorobucci," as she remained doubtful about the song’s potential while other labelmates had embraced it enthusiastically. Despite her early reservations, the song went on to become an iconic Afrobeats anthem, launching the careers of several artists featured on the track.
She credited Don Jazzy's production skills and vision for the song’s phenomenal success and expressed admiration for his ability to recognize hits that others might dismiss initially. Tiwa humorously mused on who Don Jazzy was targeting with the song—Reekado Banks, Korede Bello, or Di’Ja—unaware she herself would be part of its success story.
"Dorobucci," released in May 2014, featured a star-studded lineup including Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Dr SID, Reekado Banks, Korede Bello, Di’Ja, and D’Prince, and became one of the defining songs of the Afrobeats genre’s global rise.