What Is Waka Waka Based on?

Based on a Cameroonian marching chant and featuring backup by popular South African group Freshlyground, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” has many soccer fans around the world dancing to an African beat.

Is Waka Waka plagiarized?

When Shakira released a rendition of the song in 2010 – Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) – without permission from Zangalewa, it led to, according to reports, an online campaign for the African group to be duly compensated over issues of copyright and plagiarism. It was the biggest song of 2010 in seven countries.

What inspired Waka Waka?

“Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” draws inspiration from traditional African music and blends an African Colombian rhythm with a Soca-influenced beat. It contains instrumentation from a Southern African guitar.

Shakira is not African. She was born and raised in Colombia with a diverse mix of genetic history from across Europe and Western Asia. Her recent ancestry is a combination of Lebanese, Catalan/Spanish, and Italian, which explains her unique looks and some of her musical stylings.