Freshlyground are a South African, indie rock band which genres span between jazz, blues and kwela formed in Cape Town in 2002. The band members have different backgrounds, including South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Freshlyground's musical style blends various elements such as traditional South African music which the band dubbed as "Afro fusion". They are best known for their performance "Waka Waka " with Colombian singer Shakira, which received worldwide recognition. The music video – featuring the group – also received over 3 billion views on YouTube, making it the 21st most watched video on the entire site.
Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira has released 11 studio albums, five live albums, two compilation albums, 69 singles and 62 music videos. With 95 million certified records worldwide, she is the highest-selling Colombian artist and the best-selling female Latin artist of all time. She is the only South American artist to peak at number one on the Australian Singles Chart, the UK Singles Chart, and the US Billboard Hot 100. Her singles "Hips Don't Lie" and "Waka Waka ", have achieved sales in excess of ten million units, becoming some of the best-selling singles worldwide.
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, known mononymously as Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the "Queen of Latin Music" and has been praised for her musical versatility. She made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 13. Following the commercial failure of her first two albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), she rose to prominence in Hispanic countries with her next albums, Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998). She entered the English-language market with her fifth album, Laundry Service (2001), which sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Buoyed by the international success of her singles "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes", the album propelled her reputation as a leading crossover artist. Broadcast Music, Inc., described Shakira as a "pioneer" who extended the global reach of Latino singers.
Nadir Khayat, also known as RedOne, is a Moroccan-Swedish record producer, record executive, singer and songwriter. Currently, he holds the FIFA's Creative Entertainment Executive position. RedOne is considered one of the most influential record producer artists in contemporary music. As a record producer and songwriter, he has worked with many worldwide high-profile recording artists, most notably Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Mariah Carey, One Direction, and Usher, among many others. His production discography boasts many Billboard and international hits. RedOne has established his own record label named RedOne Records.
"She Wolf" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, taken from her eighth studio album of the same name (2009). It was released on 10 July 2009, by Epic Records as the lead single from the album. Its lyrics were written by Shakira. Its musical composition was done by Shakira, John Hill, and Sam Endicott. Shakira and Hill also served as the producers for the song. A Spanish-language translation of the song titled "Loba", which features additional lyrical contributions by Jorge Drexler, was also released earlier on 6 July. Musically, "She Wolf" is a hi-NRG, Italo disco, synth-pop and electropop track that details Shakira's boredom due to her uncaring partner, and how she looks for others to please her.
"Gypsy" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, from her eighth studio album She Wolf (2009). The song was chosen as the fourth and final single from the album by Epic Records. It was released internationally on 26 March 2010; in the United States, "Gypsy" was released as a CD single on 12 April 2010. The Spanish-language version "Gitana" was released as a digital promotional single on 1 March 2010. Written by Amanda Ghost with adittional composition by Shakira, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, the lyrics of the song describe one's life travelling as a "gypsy". The song draws heavy influences from Indian bhangra music.
"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring the South African band Freshlyground. Co-written by Shakira and John Hill, it was released on 7 May 2010 by Epic Records as the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was held in South Africa. Released in English and Spanish (with the title "Waka Waka (Esto es África)"), the song samples the original Cameroonian makossa song "Zamina mina (Zangaléwa)" by Golden Sounds and the lyrics encourage one to aim for their goals like a soldier on a battlefield.
Francis Jocky is a singer, songwriter and producer, born in Cameroon and moved to France at age of 15. He learned to play the guitar at age of 9 and by age 12 he played piano and started composing his first songs. He received his PhD in International Relations from Sorbonne University in Paris. During his studies he regularly performed as a pianist and singer in various clubs in France and around the world. At one of his performances in Monte Carlo he was approached by Jon Anderson who noticed his talent. The two wrote "The more you know" in 1998. This record was released by Eagle Rock Entertainment. He also got accolades from artist such as Stevie Wonder and Bono while sharing the microphone with them. In 2004, at the request of Eagle Rock Entertainment, he released under the name FJ & Living Souls the record 'Ambient Africa'. This record features vocal recordings from South African artists, recorded during the Apartheid by SABC. It held Number one positions for weeks on various radio stations in Canada and was featured in the Top 10 charts of US radio stations as well. Francis Jocky released two solo records, 'Mr. Pain' and 'Sanctified'.
Sale el Sol is the ninth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 19 October 2010, by Epic Records. The album marks a return to Shakira's signature Latin pop sound after the electropop record She Wolf (2009). The singer split the album into three musical "directions": a romantic side, a "rock and roll" side, and a "Latino, tropical" side. The latter two "directions" experiment with rock and merengue music, respectively. As co-producer, Shakira enlisted collaborators including Josh Abraham, El Cata, Gustavo Cerati, John Hill, Lester Mendez, and Residente from Calle 13.
"Rabiosa" is a song by Dominican singer El Cata. It achieved mainstream success when Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira covered it on her ninth studio album Sale el Sol. It was written by Armando Pérez, Edward Bello, and Shakira, and released by Epic Records as the third single from the album, on 8 April 2011. Two versions of the song exist; the English-language version, which features American artist Pitbull, and the Spanish-language version, which features Dominican artist El Cata. It is heavily influenced by merengue and dance music. Shakira and El Cata, or Pitbull, sing about each other's sex appeal in the song.
"Maware Maware" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Misia featuring Muro and JP, credited under the pseudonym M2J, and French-Cameroonian singer Francis Jocky. The song was released through the official soundtrack of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album, making Misia the first Asian artist to contribute a song for a FIFA album.
"Antes de las Seis" is a song recorded by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira for her ninth studio album Sale el Sol (2010). Written and produced by the singer and her frequent collaborator Lester Mendez, "Antes de las Seis" is one of the "romantic" songs from the album and is musically a Latin pop ballad. It features a simple piano and acoustic guitar-supplemented beat over which Shakira delivers sad and emotional vocals. Epic Records released the song as the fourth single from Sale el Sol on 21 October 2011.
"Addicted to You" is a song recorded by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira for her ninth studio album Sale el Sol (2010). The song was released as the fifth and final single from the album by Epic Records, on 13 March 2012. "Addicted to You" was written by Shakira, El Cata, John Hill and Luis Fernando Ochoa, and is a merengue-influenced song on the album. The song also draws prominent influences from merengue music, and lyrically describes Shakira's infatuation for a lover. Despite having an English title, the majority of the song is sung in Spanish.
"Get It Started" is a song by American recording artist Pitbull from his seventh studio album Global Warming. It was released on June 25, 2012 as the second single from the album by RCA Records. The song features guest vocals from Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, marking the third time they have collaborated on a song together, the others being an official remix to the Spanish version of "Did it Again", "Lo Hecho Está Hecho", and the English version of "Rabiosa". The artists co-wrote the song with its producers, DJ Buddha, Sidney Samson, Marc Kinchen, Develop, with additional writing from Durrell "Tank" Babbs and Kris Stephens. It is a dance-pop song that "blends a dance beat and up-tempo verses with a slowed-down, piano-driven pop chorus".
Global Warming is the seventh studio album recorded by Cuban-American rapper Pitbull. It was released on November 16, 2012 through Mr. 305, Polo Grounds and RCA Records. A teaser for the release was first released onto Pitbull's official Facebook and YouTube channel on September 17, 2012. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Afrojack, Sir Nolan, DJ Buddha, Adam Messinger and Nasri. The album also features guest appearances by Christina Aguilera, Usher, Kesha, Chris Brown, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira among others.
"We Are One (Ole Ola)" is a song recorded by Cuban-American rapper Pitbull for One Love, One Rhythm – The 2014 FIFA World Cup Official Album (2014). It is the official song of the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil and features guest vocals from American singer Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte. The artists co-wrote the song with Sia, RedOne, Danny Mercer, Dr. Luke, Cirkut, and Thomas Troelsen; the latter three are also the producers.
One Love, One Rhythm – The 2014 FIFA World Cup Official Album is a compilation album that was released on May 8, 2014 through Sony Music Brasil and RCA Records. This album is the official music album of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. It features songs written and selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Globalization is the eighth studio album by American rapper Pitbull. It was released on November 21, 2014 through Mr. 305, Polo Grounds Music, and RCA Records. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Dr. Luke, Cirkut, DJ Frank E, The Monsters and the Strangerz and Max Martin. The album also features guest appearances by Sean Paul, Chris Brown, John Ryan, Ne-Yo, Chloe Angelides, Heymous Molly, Jason Derulo, Juicy J, G.R.L., Bebe Rexha, Jennifer Lopez, and Claudia Leitte.
"Live It Up" is a song by the American singer Nicky Jam featuring the American rapper Will Smith and the Kosovo Albanian singer Era Istrefi. It was used as the official song of the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia. The track was produced by Diplo, The Picard Brothers and Free School, and was released on May 25, 2018. The song reached number one in Panama, and the top 10 in Hungary, Poland, Bolivia and Argentina. It received negative reviews, with many criticizing its generic, synthetic sound and detachment between the song's genre and the tournament's host country, Russia.
