Oh Africa
by Akon

Album: Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album (2010)
Charted: 56
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is a charity single recorded by Akon for a Pepsi football TV commercial. The song is part of the brand's worldwide campaign "Refresh Your World." Proceeds from the track went to Akon's charity "Konfident Foundation" for underprivileged African youths.
  • The song features Keri Hilson and the Soweto Gospel Choir of South Africa. Akon previously collaborated with Hilson on "Change Me," a track from her 2009 album In A Perfect World….
  • Footballers Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, Kaká, Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi, Frank Lampard and Andrei Arshavin are featured in the Music Video, which was helmed by renowned clips director Gil Green. "The whole aura of it is so fun, the color, the painting and the drums," Akon commented on the video shoot. "It brings out all the cultural parts of Africa you can ever think of and it doesn't even seem like a video, it seems more like a work of art that just happens to be a video."

Comments: 1

  • Naseer Bin Awwal from Kano, Nigeria Nice one
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Kristian Bush of Sugarland

Kristian Bush of SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Kristian talks songwriting technique, like how the chorus should redefine the story, and how to write a song backwards.

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New Words

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New WordsSong Writing

Where words like "email," "thirsty," "Twitter" and "gangsta" first showed up in songs, and which songs popularized them.

John Kay of Steppenwolf

John Kay of SteppenwolfSongwriter Interviews

Steppenwolf frontman John Kay talks about "Magic Carpet Ride," "Born To Be Wild," and what he values more than awards and accolades.