Anticipation continues to build for the 2012 FIFA World Cup, the premiere international soccer tournament that occurs only every four years. It's set to kick off this Friday, June 11 in and around Johannesburg, South Africa. Though there is no doubt the soccer will be excellent, it'll also be thrilling to hear the music coming out of the month-long tournament. Several artists have created official World Cup anthem songs, including R. Kelly and K'Naan, but Shakira's latest tune "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" is perhaps the best of them all. She just premiered the video for "This time for Africa", better known locally as "Waka Waka," and it's a delightfully colorful affair. Joined by South Africa fusion band Freshlyground and a bevy of dancers, Shakira rolls through the funky, inspirational tune with her usual blend of jittery energy and engaging charm. It also doesn't hurt that she's an excellent dancer, as are the performers who flank her throughout the clip.It was her first visit to the country and is also an ambassador for the One Goal Education Initiative and wants to visit some schools, the Colombian Pop sensation Shakira will take center stage for the Official World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert (via Billboard) taking place at Orlando Stadium on Thursday, the eve of the opening match of the tournament. "I am looking forward to seeing all the South African artists who will be performing at the Kick-off concert. I especially want to see their dance moves. I am looking forward to stealing some dance moves as well," she said. She will perform alongside homegrown sensation Freshlyground, who she has collaborated with for "Waka Waka," which is Written jointly by Shakira and John Hill, and an adaptation of a traditional soldiers' song named "Zangalewa."
The 33-year-old singer works it out in this new music video, all the excitement on the field is mashed up with frisky dance and performance and shows off the joy on the field when the goal is scored and disappointment when it's failed. The music video also features cameos from such football players as Lionel Messi, Dani Alves, Rafael Marquez, Gerard Pique and Carlos Kameni among others. "The FIFA World Cup is a miracle of global excitement, connecting every country, race, religion and condition around a single passion. It represents an event that has the power to unite and integrate, and that's what this song is about," Shakira said in a statement. Her excellent belly dancing moves have made her more popular in the music world.
After achieving superstardom throughout Latin America, Colombian-born Shakira became Latin pop's biggest female crossover artist since Jennifer Lopez. Noted for her aggressive, rock-influenced approach, Shakira maintained an extraordinary degree of creative control over her music, especially for a female artist; she wrote or co-wrote nearly all of her own material, and in the process gained a reputation as one of Latin music's most ambitiously poetic lyricists. Shakira has 2 Grammy awards, 7 Latin Grammy awards and 12 Billboard Latin Music awards to her credit so far. Shakira is now preparing for her upcoming She Wolf Tour around the world which kicks off on September, 21.
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