Why a Hip Hop Song by a Somali Artist was Chosen as the 2010 Fifa World Cup Anthem

By now, you probably know that for the very first time, the world’s most popular and spectacular sporting event, 2010 Fifa World Cup soccer will be held on the African continent. What you may not know is that the song “Wavin’ Flag” by K’naan, the 31-year old Somali-Canadian, was chosen as the official Coca Cola World Cup anthem.
Coca-Cola, one of the premier sponsors of the 2010 World Cup, played K’naan’s “Wavin’ Flag” song at its FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour events around the world. The soundtrack will also be used on world cup TV commercials worldwide and as the music element for the entire campaign.
Many people probably understand that South Africa was chosen because it is one of the few African countries that could afford to host an event of this magnitude. However, I will not be too far off the mark to think that the one question on many people’s lips is: why K’naan? Before I proceed, first let’s find out who K’naan is ? for the benefit of those who never heard of the artist or his song.
Abdi Warsame, aka K’naan, was born and raised in Mogadishu, Somalia. He left his war-torn country at age 13 for Harlem, New York but finally settled in Toronto, Canada; home to a large Somali community. He got involved with poetry and Hip-Hop in Somalia but sharpened his skills on the streets of Toronto after learning English. It wasn’t long before the streets of Canada and the United States started appreciating his gifted lyrical composition and delivery. With time, K’naan found himself touring with the likes of Damien Marley-Bob Marley’s son.
In 2006, “The Dusty Foot Philosopher,” K’naan’s debut album won Canada’s Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year. “Troubadour,” his second album, from which the 2010 World Cup anthem is extracted, hit the streets in early 2009 with rave reviews and debuted at number seven on the Canadian album charts. It featured Damien Marley and Mos Def, a highly-respected American rapper, among other music heavyweights.
Back to why K’naan? Being Somali in itself was a plus for K’naan – Somalia has been a staple on the news. War, political turmoil, violence, terrorism and piracy on the high seas have been closely identified with the country. Then, along comes a Somali rapper who can actually deliver his experiences in the most pervasive music genre-Hip-Hop – using one of the most widely used language: English. His story was catchy and interesting enough for the media, sponsors and world Cup organizers to run with. Furthermore, K’naan is based in Canada and easily accessible to the Western media.
Thanks to the pervasive nature of Hip-Hop. There isn’t a single country in Africa and around the world that has not embraced some form of Hip-Hop. Spurred by media outlets such as MTV Africa and cell-phone technology, the Hip-Hop culture is fast becoming a homogeneous youth culture present in tiny remote villages around the globe. Being that Hip-Hop was generally acceptable, picking a Hip-Hop song was almost a natural choice. Hip-Hop also provides the high-energy, almost fanatical enthusiasm that lends itself best to soccer supporters.
Going for an African artist only made sense because the 2010 World Cup event was being held in Africa. The choice of “Wavin’ Flag,” I believe, happened because the song has a beautiful melody and a catchy “nursery-rhyme” chorus almost anyone can sing along to¬¬. Soccer fans from any country can make it their own song: All they need is their national soccer team and their country’s waving flag.
The fact that African music is fragmented and regional naturally eliminated most other African artists. There’s no single African music genre or artist that transcends the entire continent. For example, there are African artists who are popular in French-speaking African countries but virtually unknown in English-speaking Africa and vice versa. The World Cup organizers were looking for an artist and a music genre that could be embraced across the continent of Africa and around the world. They found that in K’naan.
K’naan has released a customized version of the song specifically for the 2010 World Cup event. “Wavin’ Flag: The Celebration Mix” is more festive and upbeat with universally appealing lyrics added to the chorus. The goal is to pull all soccer fans together under one big international umbrella called the World Cup.
The 2010 Fifa World Cup will be held in South Africa from June 11 to July 11. It will almost certainly catapult K’naan to unprecedented international stardom, the kind never before tasted by an African artist.

By George Ndege (Jojo)

LISTEN TO AND BUY K’NAAN’S CD TROUBADOUR

LISTEN TO AND BUY THE DUSTY FOOT PHILOSOPHER CD