This Time for EAST AFRICA

Link to the project

 

Beyond the Beats: Unpacking the layers of Eastern Africa representation in
Wakawaka remix

In embarking on the journey of remixing the iconic Waka Waka ( This Time for Africa)
song, I had one goal in mind: to take the music and give it a fresh perspective by blending in
the fantastic flavors of Africa. As a big continent, it was challenging to create a
representation of all countries by including all customs and traditions, tourist attractions,
societies, and landscapes as well as not omitting something, so I settled for Eastern Africa
representation because it is where I come from, traveled much, and thus had the confidence
of starting the project.

The Waka Waka song is like a dance floor everybody knows; when asked anything about
Africa, most of my friends always mentioned the music. Though football-related, it
achieved massive popularity as the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and is still
considered one of the best catchy, unforgettable songs to be composed. Therefore, its
impact on making the continent a welcoming place must be addressed. It was highly used in
so many videos and carried an iconic dance that most of us find ourselves mimicking
whenever in its presence. While achieving global success, this cannot stop it from being
criticized. Cultural criticism of Waka Waka extends beyond its musical element. I
understand that it was composed to be an anthem for the World Cup, but the lyrics that are
meant to convey a message of unity and celebration have yet to be used well through the
music video. The song presents a generalized and simplified version of Africa. You would
think that in 2010, being the first and only year the World Cup happened in Africa, the
music video would try to exhibit some cultural representation, but its content is just
reduced to a singular homogenized expression and too much foreign representation.

With the lyrics in mind, I collected images and videos that resonate well with the song while
also giving an appropriate representation. I used pictures and videos that I took during my
time in Rwanda and Tanzania (my home countries). I also asked friends from East African
countries and some professional travel photographers from the region to give me images
and videos to use in the project because I felt that I would be creating a good piece that
actually represents what locals think is attractive, not the internet. However, I still got the
pictures of flags used in the video from the internet and some pictures where I felt that the
country was misrepresented in the video. Through my video, I wanted to celebrate the
diverse cultures, languages, and traditions and also highlight the distinctiveness and richness
of the countries present in the Eastern region of Africa. Besides coming from the place, my
project was also fueled by little to no information on East Africa. From my experience,
many people I encountered knew much about West Africa, South Africa, and North Africa
(due to it being in the Middle East), and very few really could name or recognize countries
in East Africa; thus, this project presented me an opportunity to promote a more accurate
and nuanced understanding of the region while simultaneously educating the audience
about the beauty of this region.

Along with this, critique played a significant role in my project. It gave me room to analyze
the song and create a masterpiece through the process. It served as a start for the remix
because it was a process that involved me questioning and reinterpreting the lyrics in a way
that could contribute to a deeper understanding of the original work while offering new
perspectives that challenge existing notions. The relationship between remixing, originality,
and identity was explored throughout my project process. Waka Waka song is an original
song that has cultural roots in African rhythms, mainly drawing inspiration from the
Cameroonian song. Through the act of remixing this iconic piece, the project pays
attributions to the original work but also serves as a commentary on it that offers insights
into how a song could have various interpretations and be reimagined in the creative
process.

Similarly, remix in this project functions as a form of critique. During the process of
assembling the clips, I got to converse with people giving me videos, and together, we were
able to reevaluate our perceptions and come up with new reflections and analyses about the
themes in the song. Also, the remixed project prompted me to think about my original
intent when I was starting the project without really knowing what I wanted to create
because, throughout the process, I learned how to edit videos and make them go in the flow
of the beats of the song but also how to use the correct clips that would create my desired
image. Hence, I had to think critically and gain a deeper understanding of the embedded
materials in order to remix them well.

At last, as I was wrapping up my project, I concluded that remix, originality, and identity
overlap in a complicated way that is very blurry and challenging sometimes. Remixing is a
creative process that transforms and repurposes, just as I employed it in my project to give
the song a new purpose of representing East Africa. It challenges traditional notions and
builds upon existing works; thus, it can be seen as an original creation in itself. Identity
becomes involved in this dynamic because remixing becomes a means of expression,
allowing us to convey our unique perspectives and personal narratives. For my project, I
borrowed Shakira’s song audio. Still, most of the images and videos were personally taken,
which concludes my project as an original remix with a perfect blend of old and new. By
embracing various cultures and traditions, there is so much I could have done to give an
outstanding representation had I had more time, but I hope that the viewers are able to feel
the rhythm of the song, where every note tells a story of who East Africans are, how they
connect, and what they represent!