A Sony Music Double Album Of Pure African Music Magic For 2010 Richie, Asem, Zigi, Eazzy And Oj Blaq
Those looking for a soundtrack to the surge of pride and passion that’s gaining momentum throughout the continent ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ need look no further than Sony Music’s upcoming new album release, ‘Hello Afrika’.
Due to hit shelves on May 31st, ‘Hello Afrika’ is an accessibly-priced, double-disc that provides a platform for close to 40 artists from across the African continent and the Diaspora to express their passion and support for the first FIFA World Cup to be staged on home soil.
“Hello Afrika” showcases the brilliance and unparalleled diversity of Africa’s musical talent.
“There was never any way that the different musical styles and artists from South Africa and the rest of the continent could fit on one official album and so the idea of a double album of strictly African artists was conceived,” a Sony Music Africa spokesperson says.
‘Hello Afrika’ is the perfect musical festival companion piece to the FIFA World Cup South Africa™ football festival - based, as it is, around songs by African artists who feel so passionately about the world’s biggest sporting event that they have written and recorded hit tracks specifically for it.
A superb multi-artist collaboration is leading the way for Ghana with ‘Africa’s Moment’, performed by Ghana’s Lynx collaboration featuring several performers from Accra including Richie, Asem, Zigi, Eazzy and OJ Blaq. This all star collaboration is set to pave the way across the continent inspiring millions of fans to rise up in support of Ghana’s highly rated national football team, the Black Stars.
“With Rockstar 4000 recently signing up Richie, Asem, Zigi, Eazzy and OJ Blaq to our repertoire we are very excited by our latest edition to our catalogue a support of this electrifying year for Africa and collaborate on this song that truly speaks to the inspirations behind the world’s greatest game of football and fuses two of Africa’s defining passions – football and music. ‘Africa’s Moment’ is an uplifting song to mobilize millions of Ghanaian fans across the world, national team, The Black Stars” says the CEO & Founder of Rockstar 4000, Jandre Louw.
Leading the charge for host country South Africa is iconic South African Afro-folk singer-songwriter, Vusi Mahlasela, whose anthem for returning exiles and political prisoners, ‘When You Come Back’, has been re-recorded in gooseflesh-raising style and is being used as the theme song for the tournament by UK broadcaster, ITV.
Mahlasela is joined by a host of other South African artists – many like Ternielle Nelson, Jason Hartman, UJU, Louise Carver, Aya and Deep Level on ‘Shosholoza 2010’ singing together for the first time and creating music magic along the way.
Also underscoring the wide-ranging musical talent of the host country are the likes of multi-award winning Afro-pop stars, Freshlyground and Malaika, hip hop artist Capsolys, rockers The Parlotones, Arno Carstens and Just Jinjer (in a remix featuring Tumi), urban dance innovators Brothers of Peace, jazz singer Lorraine Klaasen, Sotho group Tau Ea Matsekha, singer Kethi and kwaito trio TKZee in a unique mash-up with electronica duo Goldfish. South African-born, US-based DJ and producer, Gavin Hardkiss adds a global sheen to the mix with the track “Mundo Via Afrika (House Mix)” featuring Rita Bonita.
In the spirit of pan-Africanism that defines 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, ‘Hello Afrika’ also features some of the continent’s best loved artists, among them Kenya’s ‘Nameless’ whose moving ‘Coming Home’ about an African player who must leave his family to play abroad, is one of the double-album’s treasures.
Veteran Ivory Coast act Magic System adds fire to the mix with the track ‘Zouglou Dance’ and there are amazing contributions from Nigeria’s Nneka and M.I., Senegal’s Moh Dediouf and Barbados-born, German-based Judy Bailey (in collaboration with UJU).
Finally, helping turn ‘Hello Afrika’ into something lasting and truly special is the United Nations song ‘8 Goals Away’ that highlights the importance of the eight Millennium Development Goals created by the UN.
This inspirational song brings together Benin’s Angelique Kidjo, Senegal’s Baaba Maal, Mozambique’s Mingas, Kenya’s Eric Wainaine, South Africa’s Yvonne Chaka Chaka, HHP, Soweto Gospel Choir and Hugh Masekela and Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mtukudzi – and its expansive lyrical and musical themes sum up ‘Hello Afrika’s’ intention to be the definitive all-African music compilation in a time of unity and celebration.
* ‘Hello Afrika’ released on May 31st through Sony Music Entertainment Africa.
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ABOUT SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT:
Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul, GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corp., an Official Partner of FIFA and of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africaâ„¢.
ABOUT ROCKSTAR 4000
Rockstar 4000 is the first Pan African 360 music and entertainment production, content and events company. It is home to a roster of current artists across the African continent that includes a broad array of Africa’s superstars from the vast spectrum of music genres that influence the African continent’s music trends.
World-class, pan-African experiences on a local level!
Rockstar 4000 provides brands an unrivalled mix & reach of the best entertainment based experiences from around the world and across Africa on a local level! The,Rockstar 4000 brand essence is aspiration! Though its core business is live events, brand experiences, brand content, talent & music management, Rockstar 4000 is an offering that extends beyond the functional levels of excellence in its delivery to connect emotionally with audiences through what matters to them most - Music! Lifestyle! Bands! Being part of & living the life of… ROCKSTARS!
We believe in, develop and drive best-of-breed teams of skilled individuals across Africa to deliver the best live music experiences on par with and beyond the best productions in the world – made in Africa!