Does Waka Waka originate in the 1980s or 2010?

For those who enjoyed music in Cameroon in the 1980s, 1990s and even today, Waka Waka is not equivalent to Shakira. Victorine Ntambo explains as follows.

The original Waka Waka – which is not different from the FIFA 2010 version – is known as Tsamina or Zangaléwa and was a hit in Cameroon in 1986. It was originally sung by a makossa group from Cameroon called Golden Sounds who were beloved throughout the continent for their dances and costumes. The song was such a hit for Golden Sounds that they eventually changed their name to Zangaléwa. According to a Facebook page ‘Shakira IS NOT WAKA WAKA‘, which was created to discredit the originality of Shakira’s version, the song pays tribute to African skirmishers (aka tirailleurs) during World War II. Most of the Golden Sounds band members were in the Cameroonian army and used make up, fake bellies and fake butts for comic relief.

According to a Wikipedia entry:

The song is still used today almost everywhere in Africa by soldiers, policemen, boy scouts, sportsmen and their supporters, usually during training or for rallying. It is also widely used in schools throughout the continent – especially in Cameroon – as a marching song. Almost everyone in the country knows the chorus of the song by heart. The song was also popular in Colombia where it was known as ‘The Military’ and brought to the country by West African DJs.

The men in the group often dressed in military uniforms, wearing pith helmets and stuffing their clothes with pillows to appear like they had swollen butts from riding the train and fat stomachs from eating too much. The song, as many know it, is a criticism of black military officers who were in league with whites to oppress their own people. The rest is Cameroonian slang and jargon from the soldiers during the war.

According to Jean Paul Zé Bella, the lead singer of Golden Sounds, the chorus came from Cameroonian “sharpshooters who had created a slang for better communication between them during the Second World War”. They copied this fast pace in the first arrangements of the song. They sang the song together for freedom in Africa.

The lyrics, which are in a Cameroonian language called Fang, read like this with the same rhythm as used by Shakira:

Tsa mina mina eh eh (Come)
Waka waka eh eh (Do it – as in perform a task)
Tsa mina mina zangalewa (Who asked you to come?)
Ana wam ah ah
Zambo eh eh (Wait)
Zambo eh eh (Wait)
Tsa mina mina zangalewa (Who asked you to come?)
Wana wa ah ah (It’s mine)

Recently, Shakira – in collaboration with the South African band Freshlyground – produced a song called Waka Waka which was the anthem for the 2010 World Cup in Africa. And the lyrics appear to mean the same thing.

It should be noted, however, that many other artists around the world have previously sampled this song as well. They include:

Las Chicas Del Can, their version is called ‘El Negro No Puede’

The Surinamese group Beatmachine. Their version is called ‘Samina Mina‘

The movie ‘The Lion King’ also feature samples of this song.

Tom Pease in ‘Daddy Starts To Dance!’ (1996)

Trafassi (Suriname), ‘El Negro No Puede’ (1997)

Blacks à Braque and the Tambours Majeurs from the album ‘Les Hauts de Rouen Percutent’

Laughing Pizza in ‘Pizza Party’ (2004)

Nakk in ‘Zamina’ (2006)

Zaman in ‘Zamina’ (2006)

Didier Awadi (‘Zamouna‘) from the album ‘Sunugaal’ (2008)

BB DJ in ’Enfant Poli’

Mr. Tucker in ‘Zamina Zamina Pele’

What bothers me is that most South Africans came out to condemn the fact that Shakira is not a South African and therefore does not qualify to sing the FIFA 2010 anthem. None of them raised a voice against the originality of the song. Is it because no one knew about this? If so many musicians have used Zangalewa in the past, why is it that the use of the same music by Shakira has sent a stir amongst Cameroonians and others who really bothered? It definitely would not have been so much of an issue should Shakira and the mighty FIFA have had the decency to obtain permission from the peasant group ‘Golden Sounds’ before using their song or should I say lyrics?

In my opinion, Shakira and perhaps FIFA took advantage of the fact that Cameroon was until now the number one soccer nation on the continent. They decided on giving credit to or maybe taking credit from this number one nation’s position to make their show popular. Another incident where Africans are being exploited. Again I ask: Where did this leave Zangalewa?

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