Shakira's World Cup Song "Saminamina" Rips From The 1980's African Hit "Zangaléwa"

12 Apr 2010 | 21:10

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zangalewa

We've been kind of obsessed with Shakira's new song for the 2010 World Cup ever since the clips were first leaked. “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, (originally called "Saminamina" on the internet), has this fantastic African chorus, and it turns out that's because it's sampled from a Cameroonian song first recorded in 1986, called "Zangaléwa," that was hugely popular in Shakira's native Colombia, (not to mention all over Africa). The part of the original song that Shakira samples most closely is the chorus which doesn't begin until seven and a half minutes into the original song. The lyrics, which are in a Cameroonian dialect called Zang, go like this:

Zaminamina oh oh Waka waka eh eh Zaminamina zangalewa Anawam ah ah

"Zangaléwa" was recorded by a makossa group from Cameroon called Golden Sounds who were beloved throughout the continent for their silly dances and costumes. The song was such a hit for Golden Sounds that they eventually changed their name to Zangaléwa, too. The men in the group often dressed in military uniforms, wearing pith helmets and stuffing their clothes with pillows to appear like they had a swollen butts from riding the train and fat stomachs from eating too much. The song, music historians say, is a criticism of black military officers who were in league with whites to oppress their own people. Or at least, some of it was. Some of it, as far was we can surmise, is gibberish. Shakira was brilliant for choosing to sample this song because it's both a tribute to African music, with the World Cup being held in South Africa, and a nod to the folks back home who've partied to this song since way back in 1987 when the song rose to prominence thanks to West African DJ's in Cartagena.

Watch "Zangaléwa" By Golden Sounds (1986)

Shakira's not the first South American to sample the song, either. Here's a version from Surinamese group Beatmachine. Their version is called "Samina Mina" just like Shaki's.

Watch A Surinamese Sample Of Zangaléwa

What do you think?

LOL
CHISPAS
AY DIOS MIO
QUE CUTE
NERDO
NACO
CURSI
QUE COOL

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Related Tags:

golden sounds, music, Owaka waka (this time for africa)O, saminamina, shakira, world cup 2010, zangalewa

Comments

lapinta April 13, 2010

well at least this time it looks like she asked permission to use the music...which wasn't the case for the chorus in My Hips Don't Lie ("Baila en la calle de noche, baila en la calle de dia" from Dominican rocker Luis Dias).
Reply

Cindy Casares April 13, 2010

Did she? Couldn't find that info.
Reply

lapinta April 13, 2010

http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml?cid=859565
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Cindy Casares April 13, 2010

That's an article about Hips Don't Lie. I was asking if she got permission to rip Zangalewa.
Reply

Guest April 22, 2010

One thing is rip music off and another thing is to pay tribute. Obviously Shakira does not speak African, but she has always admired the culture, the music and the culture(Objection live, Hips Don't Lie @ the World Cup), it was obvious she did not come up with the LYRICS! idiots! "Baila en la noche" was taken by Wyclef, so get your facts straight if you're going to talk. He took that part for his "Dance Like This" song. Which later on was changed to Hips Don't Lie when Shakira Joined in.
Reply

Guest April 23, 2010

Having lived in cameroon for many years I was so excited to hear a song that we have loved copied by another artist that I love. As a side note, there is no "african" language--you cant speak african. There are 300+ languages in Cameroon alone where this song originates
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Guest April 24, 2010

African is the most accurate thing they can mention. They are not going to say Krio or other language because we do not know the exsact language, duh!
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Guest April 30, 2010

We do know the language used in the song--its Fang. Saying that someone is speaking "African" is moronic. If you don't know what language she is speaking a) do your research and/or b) if you still don't know say "obviously (is it obvious?) Shakira does not speak any African languages" or "obviously Shakira does not speak this particular African language"--don't just lump all African languages together.
Reply

Guest May 4, 2010

This sort of lazy and absolutely nonchalant behavior explains why so many westerners have an outdated view about Africa as a continent. Under which pretext can you really defend your patently stupid claim that it is right to call a language African? Please do tell. Oh. I just read an interview by Ze Bella who was the lead singer in Zangalewa. She never asked for permission. That is a clear violation of the Berne Convention. This is going to court. It sure is if other Cameroonian lawyers like myself can take this to the highest courts.
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Guest May 4, 2010

there is no such language as AFRICAN u dumb cunt... Africa is a CONTINENT with 52 different countries each with many different languages... we dont come to N.America and speak AMERICAN or go to Europe and speak EUROPEAN... fool..
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