Vusi Mahlasela sings “When You Come Back”. Vusi, who is one of Nelson Mandela’s favourite artists, wrote the song about political struggle.

Vusi just performed at FIFA’s massive WORLD CUP KICK OFF CONCERT on June 10, which was broadcast LIVE Worldwide. Other artists included Alicia Keys, Angelique Kidjo, Vieux Farka Toure and more

His music is generally described as “African folk”.

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R Kelly’s  “Sign of a Victory” song has been declared the official anthem for the World Cup.  The collaboration with the Soweto Spiritual Singers choir —  will be performed  at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup. Lyrics to the song beow.

I can see the colors of the rainbow,

and I can feel the sun on my face,

I see the light at the end of the tunnel,

and I can feel heaven in its place,

and that’s the sign of a victory (x2)

I can feel the spirit of the nations

and I can feel my wings ridin’ the winds, yeah

I see the finish line just up ahead na

and I can feel it risin’ deep within

and thats the sign of a victory (x2)

Now I can the distance of the journey,

high and front with all your might,

you open your eyes to global warming,

been through it all, you sacrificed your life

and that’s the sign of a victory (x2)

If we believe, we can achieve anything including the impossible this I know so lets lift up our heads and raise the flag yeah yeah and scream like you want to win now let the games begin!

that’s the sign of a victory (x4)

when you keep on fightin’ , after you lost your strength

that’s the sign of a victory

when darkness is all around you, you still find your way

thats the sign of a victory

come on and sing, lift up your voice and sing, stand up, oh yeah, stand up

sign of a victory

ooooohh ohh ohhhh

“Wavin’ Flag” is a song by K’naan from his album Troubadour. The song was chosen as Coca-Cola’s promotional anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to be held in South Africa. Olubankole Wellington, a.k.a Banky W, an American born-Nigerian R&B star and MI arguably Nigeria’s biggest rap star, who was born to his pastor father and choir mistress mom in Jos town, Nigeria have collaborated to give a rather delectable Nigerian twist to the original song.

 Freshlyground  released their hotly anticipated fourth studio album today on the back of recording Time for Africa, a collaboration with Shakira. Radio Africa, the name of the album, is set to follow in the footsteps of its hugely popular predecessors Nomvula and Ma’Cheri.

In an interview with Global Post, Freshlyground describes Radio Africa as more raw, African and cohesive, and decidedly less pop. There’s “an anxious love song,” as well as “Big Man,” a commentary on the increase of consumerism and “material pollution.”

The band describes their albums as “quite eclectic — a marketing person’s nightmare”

First Official Single (Fire is Low) from “Radio Africa” -

Doo Be Doo (below) put Freshlyground on the map, a captivating song that captured the imagination of fans.

The choice of FIFA’s Official World Cup anthem couldn’t have been more appropriate. This is a song that not only celebrates Africa but one of the few to have truly captured the imagination of a continent as diverse as ours. This is a song made by those who have been sworn to unquestionably follow orders (soldiers) and yet seem to take special delight in poking fun at authority.

Shakira and Freshlyground, a South African group, sang Zaminamina Waka Waka, (Time For Africa) at the opening ceremony of the World Cup.

Growing up in Africa exposed me to iconic African songs like “African Queen” and “Sweet Mother” which became the staple of most hip and self respecting radio stations across Accra, in my case. Most of these songs were great and brought joy to many at parties and occasions.

However, as students we had our own favourites. Songs that had “naughty” lyrics and were seen by parents as befitting the dregs of society. These were mainly cheer (or cheer leading) songs, we called jama (in Ghana), that we sang during inter school sporting occasions and favoured by so called “uneducated” soldiers (mostly junior officers) during training sessions. None was bigger than Zaminamina , a Cameroonian song that swept through the African continent with its special brand of humour, subtle political connotations and authentic African chorus during the 1980’s when the “big men” of Africa and the military elite seemed to hold sway over their populace. The song is in the Fang language and sang by the group Zangalewa, originally called Golden Sounds. Zangalewa, which was a makossa group, were distinct in their use of military fatigues of a bygone era, exaggerated grey facial hair, quirky self indulgent “old man’s” dance routines and “stuffed” bellies and behinds (not dismillar to those of the military elites).

It is, therefore, heartening to know that the first ever FIFA World Cup in Africa will be forever remembered, long after the closing ceremony by one of Africa’s beloved iconic songs. One that parodies those who have, those who continue to and those who have designs on imposing their will, through the use of the barrel of a gun, on a people who will rather march to the mantra “Backwards Never; Forwards Ever”!

PS:In the video below Shakira’s remix (which focuses on the chorus of the original song) starts in the 7th minute of this video.

Nii Thompson

A few days ago we reported that ”Time for Africa” a song by Shakira and Freshlyground had been chosen as the FIFA 2010 Official World Cup song. For those who would like to familiarise yourself with the lyrics, please see below. Shakira anf Freshlyground, a South African band, will be performing this song at the World Cup opening ceremony. Other artists due to perform at the ceremony include Alicia Keys, Black Eye Peas, and Angelique Kidjo. Thier full profiles can be found here: Music Performers at the 2010 South Africa World Cup. The original of this song, by Zangalewa – Zaminamina -  was incredibly popular across Africa. The other World Cup Anthem is R Kelly’s Sign of a Victory

You’re a good soldier

Choosing your battles

Pick yourself up

And dust yourself off

Get back in the saddle

You’re on the front line

Everyone’s watching

You know it’s serious

We’re getting closer

This isn’t over

The pressure’s on; you feel it

But you got it all; believe it

When you fall get up oh, oh

And if you fall get up eh, eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa

Cause this is Africa

Tsamina mina eh, eh

Waka waka eh, eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa

This time for Africa

Listen to your god; this is our motto

Your time to shine

Don’t wait in line

Y vamos por todo

People are raising their expectations

Go on and feel it

This is your moment

No hesitation

Today’s your day

I feel it

You paved the way

Believe it

If you get down

Get up oh, oh

When you get down

Get up eh, eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa

This time for Africa

Tsamina mina eh, eh

Waka waka eh, eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa

Anawa aa

Tsamina mina eh, eh

Waka waka eh, eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa

This time for Africa

FIFA in conjunction with Sony Entertainment has chosen “Time for Africa” a Shakira and Freshlyground, song as the 2010 World Cup official anthem.

“Time for Africa” will be performed live by Shakira and Freshlyground at the Soweto Stadium on June 10th. As we reported recently, the list of musicians penciled in to perform at the Soweto Stadium on June 10th also include Anjelique Kidjo, Black Eye Peas, the Palatones and Alicia Keys.

Freshlyground, a muliethnic band of musicians birthed in Cape Town, South Africa, joins this illustrious list of musicians.

Freshlyground describes thier music as a mix of afropop, jazz and rock. Thy are proud winners of 4 South African Music Awards, 4 Metro FM Awards and an MTV Europe Music Award for “Best African Act” -a first for any SA musician.

See below for “Time for Africa”

Daughters of Africa is a theatre group with 12 strong cast members drawn from several African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Cameroon, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique.

Directed by Leoni Jansen and produced by Peter Ultee, Daughters of Africa premièred at the Sarakasi Dome in Nairobi , Kenya . This pan-African show narrates the personal life stories of the cast and their hopes and ambitions.

The group is currently touring the Netherlands until May 2010. The teeming hordes of middle-aged Dutch Europhiles perhaps wandering aimlessly at various theatres across Europe looking for a break from typically European theatre productions need not wader anymore, as the Daughters of Africa are in town!  

There is a lot to like about this group and thier colourful variation on themes familiar to most continental Africans. Gifted and likeable, the group portray what is great about African musical performances – colourful costumes, soulful vocals and beautifully choreographed dancing.

They tackle with no obvious discomfort the myriad of stories, sad and happy, through their songs that detract from the ubiquitous formulaic theatre productions avid theatre goers are subjeted to. The various paths of the cast members into the performance arts lend credence and a generous dose of truth to their performances.

This is a feel-everything musical that asks its audience, with operatic vigour, to discover an Africa that is less one dimensional than some will assume.

Photo Courtesy: AfricanReview.com; Umojaentertainment.com

As we reported recently, K’naan’s song Wavin Flag has been chosen as the official (coca cola) FIFA Football World Cup song for South Africa 2010. Some of the biggest African and global music stars like Alicia Keys, John Legend and Anjelique Kidjo will be performing at the opening ceremony. The other World Cup Anthem is R Kelly’s Sign of a Victory.

For those who will like to sing along to K’naan’s Wavin Flag, the lyrics and the World Cup themed video are below:

Ooooooh Wooooooh, Ooooooh Wooooooh

Give me freedom, give me fire, give me reason, take me higher

See the champions, take the field now, you define us, make us feel proud

In the streets our heads are lifting, as we lose our inhibition,

Celebration, its around us, every nations, all around us

Singing forever young, singing songs underneath that sun

Lets rejoice in the beautiful game,

And together at the end of the day.

We all say

When I get older I will be stronger

They’ll call me freedom, just like a wavin’ flag

When I get older I will be stronger

They’ll call me freedom, just like a wavin’ flag

So wave your flag, now wave your flag, now wave your flag

Oooohhh, Oooooooooh wooooohh, Oooooooooh wooooohh

Give you freedom, give you fire, give you reason, take you higher

See the champions, take the field now, you define us, make us feel proud

In the streets our heads are lifting, as we lose our inhibition,

Celebration, its around us, every nations, all around us

Singing forever young, singing songs underneath that sun

Lets rejoice in the beautiful game,

And together at the end of the day.

We all say

When I get older I will be stronger

They’ll call me freedom, just like a wavin’ flag

When I get older I will be stronger

They’ll call me freedom, just like a wavin’ flag

So wave your flag, now wave your flag, now wave your flag

Now wave your flag (4x)

Oohhoooohh Woooh Ohohooooh Wooohoooh

We all say

When I get older I will be stronger

They’ll call me freedom, just like a wavin’ flag

When I get older I will be stronger

They’ll call me freedom, just like a wavin’ flag

So wave your flag, now wave your flag, now wave your flag

Now wave your flag (4x)

Oooooh woowoo ooh Wooo ooohh ooohoh

And everybody will be singing it

Oooooh woowoo ooh Wooo ooohh ooohoh

And we all will be singing it

Courtesy: Coca Cola – Sponsors

Johannesburg’s Soweto district is gearing itself up to what could be the biggest African spiced World Cup opening ever on June 10th at South Africa’s Orlando stadium. Performing at the event will be two groups:

An international ensemble led by the Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, Shakira and John Legend.

The African contingent includes Benin’s Angelique Kidjo, Mali’s Vieux Farka Toure and the Tuareg rockers Tinariwen, Mahlasela, Parlotones and BLK JKS.

In addition, K’naan’s song Wavin Flag is the official (coca cola) FIFA World Cup song.

Time for Africa, by Shakira and Freshlyground is the 2010 official anthem

Angelique Kidjo, the Benin born, afropop, afrobeat and reggae musician is a Grammy award winning musician. She is Africa’s most celebrated female musician and enjoys the same stature as Miriam Makeba did. She has collaborated with Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Carlos Santana and a few others. Angelique, who is a UNICEF Goodwill ambassador, runs a foundation called Batonga which promotes education for girls.

Tinariwen is undeniably one of the most unique bands in the world, with a story as compelling as any. The band is made up of Touareg or Kel Tamashek people from the Sahara. The rather remarkable turbans and robes, rebel insignia and the unusual, if not bizarre mix of a “traditional” people playing rock n roll ensured their immediate success internationally. Tinariwen has played over 700 concerts in North America, Japan and Europe to date. WOMAD, Glastonbury and other international venues are familiar territories to them.

They describe their music as “assouf” which means “blues, loneliness, heartache, homesickness, the darkness beyond the campfire”. The founding members of Tinariwen were rebels who fought against the creation of Post Colonial Mali (centrally controlled government) which they saw as an affront to their nomadic “nationless” and “borderless” way of life.

The Tinariwens are reputed to be the best selling African group in the world to date with countless awards to their name and a huge and loyal fan base.

Vusi Mahlasela,is a singer-songwriter, poet and a consummate guitarist who took up music at an early age.

His sound is described as a “hybrid of folk, world, blues and soul, one that connects South Africa’s apartheid-scarred past with its promise for a better future”

Vusi performed at Nelson Mandela’s inauguration ceremony in 1994 and has since worked closely with Mandela’s 46664 Foundation to raise awareness of Aids/HIV.

The South African, rock band, the Parlotones last album “A world next door to yours” is the highest selling Rock album in South Africa in the last decade.

The Parlotones are particularly adept at producing quirky videos and are probably the only bonafide rock band that has their own acclaimed brand of wine called “Giant Mistake” found in most reputable wine retail stores across Europe.

As they said recently in an interview “We’ve always had the attitude to just do anything, because everything counts. We’ve done it all; from having kids throwing water bombs at us, to waxing each others legs on national television and eating tripe in Soweto. And it really does all count; soon the whole country knows who you are. (Well not ’soon’, rather ‘eventually.’)”

BLK JKS (pronounced Black Jacks) is a South African head nodding Afro rock Band made up of childhood friends from East Rand, Johannesburg. Their psychedelic style has been described as the “the sound of a new South Africa” and “an example of the post-apartheid nation’s new cultural momentum and frontier-breaking sensibility”.

Their lineup includes Linda Buthelezi (lead vocals), Mpumi Mcata (guitar), Molefi Makananise (bass) and Tshepang Ramoba (drums).

Amadou and Mariam met at Mali’s Institute for the Young Blind where their music journey began. Their music can be best described as Afro blues-rock, pop and funk. Their use of Syrian Violins, Indian tablas and Cuban trumpets is somewhat unique, especially, when combined with soulful rhythms in English or French

The best way to describe Viex Farka Touré’s music is one that blends contemporary and diasporean African music forms with ancient Malian music..He seamlessly blends traditional musical instruments with more modern intruments, to produce funky, reggae like sounds.He is an accomplished guitar player with a talent for putting together remarkable sequences.

His music brings together “the African Diaspora from both sides of the Atlantic with a reggae rhythm, syncopated guitar, heavily riverbed percussion and great vocals”

The Black Eyed Peas have sold an estimated 25 million albums worldwide and have won numerous awards. Some of their major hits include Where Is the Love?,  Shut Up, My Humps and Don’t Phunk With My Heart.

Shakira, the musical prodigy from Colombia, has now won 2 Grammy awards and no less than 7 Latin Grammy awards. She also performed at President Obama’s inauguration ceremony at America’s Lincoln Memorial.

John Legend is the recipient of the Special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and winner of 6 Grammy awards. He runs the “show me campaign” aimed at developmental efforts in a Ghanaian village called Bossaso.

Alicia Keys’ 2001 album Songs in A Minor alone earned her 5 Grammy Awards and her second album Diary of Alicia Keys earned her an additional 4 Grammy awards. She has sold over 30 million albums so far in her short career.