‘Walked from the barn to the house and it came to me’: Shakira Caught Red-Handed After Lying About Iconic ‘Waka Waka’, Copying Music from 90’s Iconic Cameroon Song ‘Zamina mina Zangalewa’
Shakira is referred to be the Queen of Latin Music who has charmed millions of her fans around the world with her musical versatility. Due to her successful music career, she is credited with opening new opportunities for other Latin artists in the international markets. With her established career, you might have not known that she was caught red-handed for lying about the popular piece that gave her a push in her musical career.
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The 2010 official World Cup anthem which opened new doors for the Colombian singer was not her creation as she told once but a copy of the iconic 90s Cameroon Song Zamina mina Zangalewa.
Was The 2010 Official World Cup Anthem By Shakira Copied?
The 45-year-old singer Shakira released the song Waka Waka( Time for Africa) back in 2010 as the official song of that year’s FIFA World Cup, which was held in South Africa. It received positive reviews from critics and became the most successful song of that year.
What was more amusing was that the beat and the melody, particularly the chorus in her Waka Waka song were very identical to a 90s song Zamina mina Zangalewa.
A group made of Cameroon’s President guards formed in 1984 as Golden Sounds whose song called Zangalewa became an instant hit across Africa. Due to the song’s popularity, the group renamed itself Zangalewa.
However, the singer in her interview back in 2010 claimed that the song was an original composition. The singer in an interview (as per Associated Press) shared at that time, that the song came to her “in the most unexpected way.”
She shared, “I was actually I was taking a few days off in my farming in Uruguay and I walked from the barn to the house. And on that walk, boom, it came to me.” She further added the parts that came unexpectedly to her, “I got the lyrics and the music of the entire first verse and first free chorus.”
Check out the interview below.
However, her actions were noticed by the fans who had danced to the original music that came way before the singer’s unexpected composition.
An online Campaign Was Launched To Compensate Zangalewa for The Music She Copied
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When it came to be known that the singer did not take permission from the originators, an online campaign was reportedly made so that the Cameroonian group could get their compensation over issues of copyright and plagiarism.
The online campaign eventually worked out as Shakira’s management agency, Sony, and members of the group, Zangalewa, reached an out-of-court settlement.
In a statement to the public, the creators said “There is no question of plagiarism as some have thought, but the international singer has simply readapted the song” adding that there was an agreement with Shakira’s management and Sony Music.
The original song was quite famous in many regions of Africa and in South America, including in Shakira’s native Colombia where it was known as The Military. It may be possible that the tune was heard by the Colombian singer during her childhood which led her to create the Waka Waka song.
Source: Medium
