"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" is a song by Colombian singerShakira, featuring the South African bandFreshlyground. Co-written by Shakira andJohn Hill, it was released on 7 May 2010 byEpic Records as theofficial song of the2010 FIFA World Cup, which was held in South Africa. Released in English and Spanish (with the title "Waka Waka (Esto es África)"), the song samples the originalCameroonianmakossa song "Zamina mina (Zangaléwa)" by Golden Sounds and the lyrics encourage the players to aim for goals like soldiers on abattlefield.
It received generally favourable reviews from critics. However, the selection of Shakira to sing the song generated controversy after numerous South Africans expressed disappointment inFIFA's decision, arguing that a native artist should have been assigned the role. "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" peaked at number one on therecord charts of numerous countries worldwide and was the most successful song of 2010 in seven countries. In the United States, it peaked at number 38 on theBillboardHot 100 chart and was latercertifiedplatinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over one million units in the country. The single attained multiplatinum certifications in several countries, including diamond certifications inBrazil,France,Germany andSweden. As of 2019, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" had sold 15 million downloads worldwide, becoming one of thebest-selling digital singles of all time.[2] The success earned a song aGuinness World Record, certified as the most streamed FIFA World Cup song on Spotify.[3]
"They met up with Shakira's producer [John Hill] and he played us the ‘"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" song – which we loved – and asked us to mess around with it and come up with some parts. We wrote a bridge and added some Southern African elements to the song and a few months later heard that we were on what was to become the biggest World Cup song in history! Pretty awesome."
In February 2010, Shakira wrote and produced "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" with American record producerJohn Hill, who had previously collaborated with her on several songs fromShe Wolf. The inclusion ofFreshlyground, aSouth Africanrock band whose genres spanjazz,blues andkwela (afro-pop) on the track took place after Hill met with their producer inNew York.[7][8] The band were finishing their studio albumRadio Africa when Hill approached them requesting input regarding the song. The producer left the band alone to make additions to the track and returned hours later to listen to it. Giving little reaction after hearing it, Hill expressed interest in recording "everything I'd heard here" and told the band that they would hear from him later.[6][9]
On April 26, 2010, theFédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) announced that "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" would serve as theofficial song of the2010 FIFA World Cup, which was to begin in South Africa later in June, and would also appear onListen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album. The announcement mentioned that Shakira would perform the song at the closing ceremony of the cup, which would take place before theFinal match, on 11 July at theFNB Stadium inJohannesburg. She would also headline the World CupFIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert on 10 June at theOrlando Stadium in Johannesburg.[10] The song was premiered on 28 April[10] and was made available fordigital download on theiTunes Store on 7 May 2010.[11] It received a physical release as a CD single on 28 May.[12] A Spanish-language version of the song, titled "Waka Waka (Esto es África)," was also recorded by Shakira. It was released as a single in specific markets.[10] "K-Mix" versions of "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" and "Waka Waka (Esto es África)" were also included in the singer's ninth studio album,Sale el Sol, which she released in October the same year.[1]
"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" draws inspiration from traditional African music, blending anAfrican Colombian rhythm with aSoca-influenced beat andCongolese rumba guitar style.Freshlyground's unique afro-fusion sound further incorporated traditional South African music such askwela.[13][14]Zolani Mahola (the band's lead singer) predominantly delivered her verse inXhosa.[15] In addition, the song contains instrumentation from a Southern African guitar.[10] The chorus of the song and the words "waka waka" are borrowed from "Zangaléwa", a 1986 song recorded byCameroonian bandGolden Sounds, which was a hit not only across Africa but also inColombia, with the help of West African DJs, where Shakira heard the tune when she was a child.[16] According to Debora Halbert, author of the bookThe State of Copyright: The Complex Relationships of Cultural Creation in a Globalized World, Golden Sounds were also not the original creators of the chorus, since it was adapted from "military marches of unknown origins that go back as far asWorld War II".[17] "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" is written in the key ofD major, and hastempo of 127 beats per minute.[18]
The lyrics of "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" compare football (soccer) players to soldiers on a battlefield and encourage them to fight for their goals.[19] Fraser McAlpine fromBBC Music Chart Blog described them to be "about an undisclosed event which is about to happen for Africa, in which everyone gets together and enjoys the fruits of their hard work, even though there have been many hardships along the way."[20] The Spanish version of the song does not contain a war metaphor and instead "talks about walls coming down."[19]
Several news outlets have accused Shakira of "stealing" or "plagiarism", owing to similarities between "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" and "Zamina mina (Zangaléwa)".[21][22][23] However, members of the groupGolden Sounds/Zangalewa, Guy Dooh and Jean Paul Ze Bella and their manager Didier Edo, held a press conference to "'enlighten international opinion' and above all to 'silence rumors about a possible legal action'". Regarding the controversy, Edo said: "There is no question of plagiarism as some have thought, but the international singer has simply readapted the song", and that there was an agreement with Shakira's management andSony Music.[24]
FIFA's decision to choose "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" as the official song was negatively received by some South African people, who felt that Shakira was not the "right person to represent the country's first World Cup,"[25] arguing that an African artist should have been assigned the role.[26] South African musicians were also displeased regarding the lack of native acts scheduled to perform at the FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert on 10 June 2010. They expressed anger towards theSouth African Football Association (SAFA) for letting international artists such asAlicia Keys, theBlack Eyed Peas, and Shakira headline the event. Subsequently, the Creative Workers Union of South Africa planned a demonstration to be held on 15 April, but called it off after SAFA announced that the repertoire of performing acts would be finalised after "consultation with fans and host cities."[27]Danny Jordaan, head of the South African World Cup Organising Committee and president of SAFA, released a statement assuring that "the incredibly talented South African and African music industry will play a major part in the tournament's off-field success and character."[27] Freshlyground's violinistKyla-Rose Smith defended FIFA's decision to select "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" as the official song, saying: "I think that the World Cup is a global event but it's also a business, a huge marketing exercise. FIFA requires a musician of a certain global reach to appeal to all the different kinds of people who are involved and witness and watch the World Cup. So I understand the choice of someone like Shakira."[26]
The "waka waka" riff of the song also generated controversy. In June 2010, it was reported thatDominican musicianWilfrido Vargas had decided to file a lawsuit against Shakira for allegedlyplagiarising the riff off his composition "El Negro No Puede" for a sum of $11 million,[28] which was performed by Dominican groupLas Chicas del Can.[29] However, Vargas later directly addressed the issue and said he did not have any intention to sue Shakira, clarifying that he himself did not own the riff used in "El Negro No Puede", and that the prior statements made in his name were fabricated.[30]
Fraser McAlpine fromBBC Music Chart Blog gave the song a four-out-of-five rating and praised its welding of "undulating African guitars to a clod-hopping, skippy township beat." However, he felt that the song did not seem to be about the World Cup and could "just as easily be about a global effort to build water-pipes in the worst drought-ridden areas of the continental land-mass."[20] Robert Copsey fromDigital Spy rated it three out of five stars, favouring its "ludicrously catchy" chorus, although he commented: "Somewhat inevitably, 'Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)' sees Shak[ira] replace her usual kooky lyrics with lines that wouldn't sound out of place on anX Factor winner's song."[31] Kyle Anderson fromMTV picked "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" as the best official World Cup song, calling it a "funky, inspirational tune."[32]Canada.com critic Stuart Derdeyn, however, was highly critical of the song and called it "sonic vomit" and "perhaps the stupidest official song for any major sporting event ever."[33]
"Waka-Waka (This Time for Africa)" received a nomination at the 2010 PremiosShock for "Best Radio Song" ("Mejor Canción Radio"),[34] but lost to "No Digas lo Siento" by Don Tetto.[35] The song was nominated "Top Latin Song" at the2011Billboard Music Awards.[36] In the same year, it received a nomination for "Latin Digital Download of the Year" at the2011 LatinBillboard Music Awards.[37] At the 2011Nuestra Tierra Awards, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" was nominated for "Best Song",[38] but lost to Santiago Cruz andFernando Osorio's "Cuando Regreses".[39] In the same year, It was recognized at the 19th AnnualASCAP Latin Music Awards as one of the most-performed Pop Songs of 2010.[40] The song was recognized as one of the most-performed songs at the 19thBMI Latin Music Awards in 2012.[41]
Billboard included "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" among the 50 essential Latin songs of the 2010s decade.[42]
Shakira performing "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" duringThe Sun Comes Out World Tour inMadrid, Spain. The song peaked at number one in Spain for 17 consecutive weeks.[12]
The song became a success across Europe. In Austria, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" displacedSomali-Canadian artistK'naan's song "Wavin' Flag" (which was also another promotional song for the World Cup) from the top spot on theÖ3 Austria Top 40 chart, ending its four-week-long run at number one.[43] "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" went on to spend six consecutive weeks atop the chart and a total of 63 weeks, making it Shakira's longest-charting single in the region.[44] It is also Shakira's most successful single in the country and wascertified double-platinum by theInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) Austria, denoting sales of 60,000 units.[45] In both the Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia regions of Belgium, the song reached number one on theUltratop charts, logging a total of five and eight weeks at the spot, respectively.[46][47] It was the best-selling single of 2010 in Wallonia[48] and was certified double-platinum by theBelgian Entertainment Association (BEA) in 2012 for completing sales of 60,000 units.[49] In Denmark, the song topped theHitlisten chart and was certified triple-platinum by the IFPI Denmark.[50]
"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" debuted at number one on theFrench Singles Chart and stayed at the position for six consecutive weeks. The success of the song was such in the country that it appeared on the chart for three consecutive years (2010–13) and for a total of 132 weeks.[51] TheSyndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) certified the single platinum for sales of 150,000 units.[52] It was the best-selling single in the country in 2010 with sales of 373,068 copies.[53] The song peaked at number one on theGerman Singles Chart for six weeks[54] and became the second highest selling single in the country in 2010.[55] It was certified quintuple-gold by theBundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI), denoting shipments of 1,200,000 units, making "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" Shakira's highest-selling single in the country.[56] In Italy, the song entered theFIMI singles chart at number two and peaked at number one a week later. It stayed at number one for 16 consecutive weeks.[57] In 2014, the single was certified six times-platinum by theFederazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) for selling 180,000 units in the country.[58]
The song topped theSpanish Singles Chart for 17 consecutive weeks and charted for 69 weeks in total.[12] "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" was the best-selling single in Spain in 2010, coinciding with the country's victory of the World Cup that year.[59] It was later certified six times-platinum by theProductores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE) for selling 240,000 units in the country.[60] The song is one of thebest-selling singles in Spain. The song has been certified 10× Platinum (Diamond) in the country. It was the best selling female single of all time in the country until 2022.
"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" became Shakira's biggest single in Sweden, where it peaked atop theSverigetopplistan chart and appeared on the chart for 58 weeks.[61] By 2012, the single had sold 360,000 downloads in the country and had been certified nine times-platinum by the IFPI.[62] Thering tone format of the song has received a triple-platinum certification.[63] In Switzerland, the song debuted at number five and later peaked atop the chart for four weeks.[64] It spent 86 weeks on the chart and was certified triple-platinum in 2011 by the IFPI.[65] "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" peaked at number 21 in the United Kingdom[66] and was certified double platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2022 for sales and streams of 1,200,000 units.[67]
"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" was the most-downloaded song of 2010 on theNokia Music Store, based on its performance in 38 countries, including India and China.[68] In India, it peaked at number three on theRadio Mirchi Angrezi Top 20 chart.[69] According to Manoj Gairola ofHindustan Times, the song was downloaded by more than 300,000 subscribers of a telecom company that held exclusive rights to sell "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" on mobile phones.[70]
The song attained number one positions in Argentina, Chile and Shakira's native country Colombia.[71] In Mexico, it spent five successive weeks at number one,[71] and was certified double-platinum by theAsociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (AMPROFON) in 2012 for completing sales of 120,000 downloads.[72] In Canada, the song was a huge success. Despite peaking at 11 on Canada Hot 100 chart, Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) was certified as 8 times Platinum in the country. The song is her second best seller in Canada, after Hips Don't Lie which is a Diamond single. In the United States, the song debuted at number 43 on theBillboardHot 100 - Shakira's second-highest debut on the chart at that time.[73] It later peaked at number 38.[74] TheRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the song platinum in 2011 after it completed sales of 1,000,000 downloads.[75] According toNielsen SoundScan, the single has sold 1,763,000 downloads in the United States, making it Shakira's third-highest selling digital single in the country (as of March 2014).[76]
The dance routine performed during the song's chorus in the video (pictured) was dubbed the "waka waka dance". Adam Fairholm from IMVDb called it "recognizable as a dance and pretty easy to replicate if you have any dancing skill."[77]
The music video for "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" was directed byMarcus Raboy.[78] It was developed and conceptualised by Shakira along with Antonio Navas, executive creative director of international marketing agencyOgilvy & Mather. Navas explained that the concept of the video was to "take the viewer on a trip around the world, ending in Africa."[79] The dance sequences were choreographed byHi-Hat, who had previously worked with Shakira on the video of "She Wolf" (2009).[80] The video was shot inLos Angeles and was recorded in multiple languages.[79] It was premiered on 6 June 2010[78] and became the first-ever music video bySony Music to receive a release in3D format.[81]
The video chiefly focuses on Shakira and a crowd composed of numerous dancers and children dancing together. Freshlyground appear during their verse, with lead singer Zolani Mahola and violinist Kyla-Rose Smith "front and center". Towards the end of the video, various child dancers perform solo dance routines.[77] The video interpolates archival footage of past football matches, including the infamous scene of Italian footballerRoberto Baggio missing the decisive penalty in the shootout of the1994 FIFA World Cup Final against Brazil, and the2006 FIFA World Cup Final at the beginning of the video.[82] It also features appearances by footballersDani Alves,Gerard Piqué,Carlos Kameni,Lionel Messi andRafael Marquez.[77]
Adam Fairholm from IMVDb praised the dance sequences and wrote that while Shakira was "great," the best part of the music video were the appearances by Freshlyground, the children, and the footballers. He praised Raboy for "making everyone seem like a big, happy family" and felt the video was adequately representative ofSouth African culture.[77]MTV writer Kyle Anderson complimented the energy of the video and Shakira's dancing ability. He highlighted the footage of a football match showing a "killerslide tackle" as the "key" scene of the video.[32] The video wentviral on video-sharing websiteYouTube, reaching number one onThe Guardian Viral Video Chart.[83]
Shakira performed "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" at the 2010 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony on 10 June at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. The song was preceded by performances of her past singles "Hips Don't Lie" and "She Wolf". Freshlyground also appeared on the stage and Mahola sang her verse of the song.[84] Numerous African dancers and musicians accompanied Shakira during the performance.[85] For the performances, Shakira was dressed in a black and white zebra-print jumpsuit coupled with a silk-fringed skirt and bracelets made of brown leather and silver pearls. Her outfit was designed byItalian fashion designerRoberto Cavalli.[86] Diane Coetzer fromBillboard praised the performance and called it the "crowning moment" of the concert show.[84] Although critical of Cavalli's costume,Los Angeles Times critic Ann Powers complimented Shakira's performance of the three songs and commended her incorporation of native dancers and musicians in the show, writing: "It was just a symbolic gesture, but a strong one in this evening-long review of pop music's journey from Africa to every corner of the earth, and back."[85]Pitbull,Jennifer Lopez, andClaudia Leitte's headlining performance at the2014 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony was negatively compared to Shakira's as fans found the former's show disappointing in comparison to the latter's.[87]
The song was performed for a second time by Shakira and Freshlyground at the 2010 FIFA World Cupclosing ceremony on 11 July 2010.[88] Shakira's costume was designed by Cavalli again and consisted of atulle top, a silk-fringed skirt with floral motifs and adenim belt. The top and belt were embroidered with pearls of various colours. Shakira also wore leather bracelets embellished with floral silk decorations.[89]Billboard critic Coetzer wrote that the performance of the song "sparked an ecstatic response" from the spectators.[88] Siddharth Saxena fromTimes of India described the presentation as a "riot of colour, light and laser show".[90]
"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" was included on theset list of Shakira'sThe Sun Comes Out World Tour (2010–11) and was performed as the last song of theencore segment of the concert shows.[91] During the performances, she invited fans onto the stage to dance with her as confetti "filled the entire arena".[92]
As of May 2014, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" has reportedly sold nearly ten million units worldwide, making it one of Shakira's best-selling songs along with "Hips Don't Lie".[95] It has been proclaimed as one of the best FIFA World Cup songs of all time by publications includingBillboard,Dallas Observer andThe Sydney Morning Herald.[96][97][98] With more than 4 billion views on YouTube as of October 2024, the music video of "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" is thetwentieth most-watched video of all time and the most-viewed female music video on the site.[99] In an interview in 2014, Shakira spoke about the importance of the song in her life as she metSpanish footballerGerard Piqué during the filming of the video, with whom she pursued a romantic relationship and had two sons.[100]
The song returned to prominence in 2014 after a large number of Brazilian fans criticised "We Are One (Ole Ola)", the official song of the2014 FIFA World Cup, for not correctly representing the culture of the host country Brazil. Many "expressed their frustration" onTwitter using the hashtag "#VoltaWakaWaka" (Portuguese for "ComeBackWakaWaka"), demanding FIFA to reinstate "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" as the official song.[101]
The song was featured in the video gameJust Dance 2018 and was also included in a medley sung by Shakira in the Super Bowl LIV halftime show in February 2020.
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^ab"Gold & Platin" (in German).IFPI Austria. Archived fromthe original(TypeShakira inInterpret and click onSuchen) on 8 June 2009. Retrieved3 June 2014.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 38. týden 2010 in the date selector. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
^"Earone Top 100 of the year 2010" (in Italian). Earone. Archived from the original on 6 November 2011. Retrieved7 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
