By James Francis
It was the 2010 World Cup anthem, a blasting fusion of Latin rhythm and African grooves that was as cheesy as it is now famous. With the gyrations of music superstar Shakira and lively music by Freshlyground, one of South Africa’s break-out music acts, “Waka Waka” was loved and loathed. But everyone knew it – and also the titillating story of how it became a truly South African song.
“He heard there were a bunch of South Africans three floors up,’’ Freshlyground drummer Peter Cohen recently told the Boston Globe. “We recorded through the night. Then we never heard from him for months — until three weeks before the song came out, and we were delighted.’’ That ‘he’ was producer John Hill, working hard with Shakira in the same studio building as where Freshlyground were mixing their new album. The result was performed in front of the World during the World Cup’s kick-off concert and the final match.
It is a great story. But a New York musician claims it’s not as real as it sounds.
“The only reason I accepted to do this session for a measly $500 (R3300) was because of all the tremendous follow-up work it would generate with Shakira,” Dominic James told the Weekend Witness. “Freshlyground are getting rewards and follow-up work for something they didn’t do. Even the eight bars that their singer sang is based on my lead guitar melody.”
According to James, he was hired to do most of the instrumentation on the track – nearly all of it. But when Waka Waka went big, the record label and media portrayed Freshlyground as the song’s musical source – including all of them appearing on the CD cover and in the music video. James, meanwhile, got no traction out of the deal and has been watching money and opportunities slide past him and towards the group instead.
It might seem opportunistic, but when the Witness asked for proof, James produced emails in which Sony executives admit to his role in the song. One even goes as far as declaring James “integral to the sound and appeal of the song” and that the company “had all of Dominic’s guitar parts labelled as such in the [recording] session”.
James also says that Freshlyground is not innocent of the events and that they have admitted to not playing a single note in Waka Waka: “They promised that they would credit me when they talk to the media, but they’re still going around claiming credit for my work.”
The band has not responded to the claims, despite efforts by several news companies to contact them. Nor has the record label or any of the other people involved. Freshlyground are currently busy touring the US.
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FreshlyGround are now busy touring the world. Riding on someone’s work.
They all stole it
In 1995 I visited the Comores Islands in the Indian Ocean and at that time the song was widely sung and was introduced to us as a local song and dance number – I even have a cassette tape of it that I purchased in the Comores.
Sun International guests were “trained” to sing the song and do the dance as part of the festivities that took place at la Galawa Hotel.
So maybe they should go look in the Comores for the origin of the song !!!
And there is no mention of Shakira….
So if they they didn’t contribute anything, who came up with the Xhosa lyrics? #pondering
The song was first sang by a group from Cameroun, Zangalewa it was called I think. The song was a huge hit in africa except RSA. They were members of the Cameroonian Army.
It is said that all of this comes out at the anniversary of the World cup.
The memory of that spectacle is something that I will always cherish.
Thank you very much to everybody that contributed to the song, including Shakira, Freshly Ground and everybody else in the Background.
I am truly blessed to have had something like this happen in my lifetime.
A very proud South African indeed!
THEY ARE DISGRACING THEIR COUNTRY
Why has it taken a year for this to come out – surely this was known a year ago but now it is only coming to light????????????????
Don’t hate on freshly ground hey.
is dis 4 real farel
its another money making scam,like the former Bafana Bafana name owner who claimed tht the name belongs to hm…..so i agree with the writer tht said its an *after effects of 2010 world cup*…there is a lot to come……mark my words!!!!!!!
the song is nice
haha all you ppl are haters… unlucky hahahah
why is this person only coming forward now. i mean realy we are in 2011 already.
The song is originally from Cameroon. It was sang by the Army. Everybody else stole it from there.
like they say in afrikaans “die ander man se dood, is die ander man se brood” so let freshly ground be.
im even thinking of following her to the US.lol
Some ppl like looking for attention…. let things be
I think freshlyground is one of best S.A bands at the moment.I think people claiming a connection- way off base.They were starz looooong before Waka Waka.Just sour grapes as far as I am concerned.LONG LIVE FRESHLYGROUND!-Lynne from Atlantis
this song is not south african, it is Cameroonian; can someone out there tell me what zangalewa means in any local south african language, nil. So why fight over what is not yours, you are all copy cats.
hi the song is very very nice i luv it
The song is originally cameronian,it was composed by a cameronian woman.its just a copy,though it is good.
hello we have xhosa contribution (freshly ground)
James agreed and accepted to do those sessions for R3300. Wasn’t it about the love from the very start?? Then why hate now?
I love the song, 2010 FIFA world cup was there when it happend.
Thank you Freshlyground and Shakira for giving us such a nice track.
Much Love…
UHM… FRESHLY GROUND IS NIE ‘N “HER” NIE. DIS ‘N HULLE…?
For goodness sake….where do you come off?????
#ponder about seeing the positive!
At least they are touring and promoting their country. Perhaps you people should stop being so selfish and ignorant and leave them be. They achieved more than you will ever achieve.
It’s great to see a positive comment here. Perhaps the rest of these people posting nonsense can learn something from you.
I wonder though if this will become an issue like the apartheid that has been over for almost 20 years…
Good on you *wink*
thank yu phaks yu can ask tht again
I think the guy needs more, pls leave freshlyground they rock
I was 4 years old when i listened for the first time to waka waka.I remember like it was yesterday .The video clip was long and comic,
You better read this before arguing and if you still don’t believing you can watch the video
on utube;type waka waka of zangalewa.
To know more about the group read the following:
Biography
Zangalewa, previoulsy known as Golden Sounds is a makossa group from Cameroon.
It was led by a career member of Cameroon’s presidential guard, Jean Paul Zé Bella. The men in the group provided comical musical entertainment, often dressing in military uniforms, wearing pith helmets and stuffing their clothes with pillows to appear like they had swollen bottoms from riding the train and fat stomachs from eating too much.
The band is most famous for its song, Zangalewa, which was a huge hit in Africa since its release in 1986. The song was also popular in Colombia where it was known as “The Military” and brought to the country by West African DJs. The song made their band so popular that they later changed the name of their group to Zangalewa, which means “Where are you from?”.
Edited by Koksiboks on 14 Nov 2010, 13:15
The worst part is that they have received nothing as compensation from those who have copied them
Freshly ground are the best, judging from the previous songs, so please bayegene. They sang and dance for the song, and we know them. So live with it whoever
Great place, that. I was lucky enough to visit while it was still accessible…
Stupid comment, doesnt even make sense. Why are people being “selfish” because they’re voicing their opinions? Freshlyground have achieved- not much if you look at other bands; if you want to only focus on the music category. Have you been to the moon? Armstrong achieved more than freshlyground in that sense. Again, dumbass comment.
Get lives people, it was the WORLD CUP, not South Adrican. IMO Freshly ground suck anyway.