Africa (Karl Wolf song)
Encyclopedia
Africa is the first official single by Lebanese Canadian singer Karl Wolf
from his third studio album Bite The Bullet
. The album version of the song features rapper/reggae
artist Culture
. The song is inspired by the worldwide hit "Africa
", by Toto
and samples music and covers
lyrics from the chorus from the original version, providing original lyrics in place of the original's verses.
, Oman
. The music video for Africa starts off with Wolf at his secret island resort on his laptop. He gets a call from Culture who's on a boat toward shore to meet up with Wolf. The next scene Wolf sees a sexy woman in a bikini on the beach and starts talking to her. Some other scenes in the video also take place at nighttime with Wolf, Culture, and the same sexy woman in a yellow bikini around a fireplace. The music video also reached #1 on the MuchMusic Countdown.
based on airplay alone, then dropped four spots the next week. On the January 24, 2009 issue it skyrocketed from #92 to #45. In early March it was finally released on iTunes
for digital downloads, causing it rise up to the top five as it surged up from #32 to #2 on the issue of March 14, 2009 all based on a big number of downloads over the previous week. The song stayed at #2 for four more consecutive weeks on the charts dated between March 14 and April 11, 2009 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, only outsold by Flo Rida
's "Right Round
" that stayed at #1 for those five weeks. It also spent three more weeks at #3 in the charts dated between April 18 and May 2, making it a run of 8 weeks in the Top 3. The single has stayed in the chart for a total 37 weeks.
In its twenty-sixth week on the Canadian Hot 100
, the song re-entered the top ten at #10.
This is Karl Wolf's most successful single to date. The music video of the song peaked at #1 on the MuchMusic Countdown
Top 30 charts on 9 July 2009 chart. The song has also found success in Japan, peaking at #20 on the Japan Hot 100 chart.
It also appears as a bonus track in his third album Nightlife
In 2010, Karl Wolf also released a video version during the 2010 FIFA World Cup
entitled "Africa (World Cup Edition)". The video produced by Lone Wolf and moCore and shot in Montreal shows Karl Wolf and a group of young soccer players. Very notably also, this remake doesn't include any vocals by Culture.
There is also a dance remix of the song by MC Joe and The Vanillas which peaked at #38 on the Canadian Hot 100 based on digital sales.
The song played in the background of a video footage from a May 12 American Idol (season 8)
episode showing Carrie Underwood
in Africa.
A radio edit labeled "Top 40 No Rap Radio Edit" was released by Promo Only
in the U.S.
Karl Wolf has also made a 2008 remake of his version of Africa retitled as The Song For Peace and completely new lyrics and dedicated to Lebanon
with different lyrics, but sampling very largely on his earlier Africa hit. This Lebanon version although not found on his albums nor released as a single, remains very popular with the Lebanese public.
Karl Wolf
Carl Abou Samah is a Lebanese-born Canadian musician based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is better known by his stage name Karl Wolf. He has been a singer, songwriter and producer since 2001, releasing his first solo album Face Behind the Face on MapleNationwide/Universal in January 2006,...
from his third studio album Bite The Bullet
Bite the Bullet (Karl Wolf album)
Bite the Bullet is the second solo studio album from singer-songwriter Karl Wolf, released internationally first in 2007 under EMI Arabia. The Canadian release was April 7, 2009 by Lone Wolf Records, which was due in part to the successful single Africa that reached #2 in Billboard's "Canadian Hot...
. The album version of the song features rapper/reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
artist Culture
Culture (musician)
Culture is a Canadian hip hop rapper and reggae artist. His biggest chart success has been Africa with Karl Wolf. The song was recorded for Karl Wolf's second studio album Bite the Bullet. This version is based on the original 1982 Africa song by Toto....
. The song is inspired by the worldwide hit "Africa
Africa (Toto song)
"Africa" is a song by rock band Toto, and one of the band's most recognizable songs. It was included on their 1982 album Toto IV, and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 1983 and number three on the UK Singles Chart the same month...
", by Toto
Toto (band)
Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams , David Paich , Steve Porcaro , Steve Lukather , Mike Porcaro , and Simon Phillips . Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard...
and samples music and covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
lyrics from the chorus from the original version, providing original lyrics in place of the original's verses.
Music video
Despite the title of the song the music video was actually shot off the shore of DibbaDibba
Dibba , sometimes spelled Diba or Daba, is a coastal region at the northeastern tip of the United Arab Emirates/Oman peninsula on the Gulf of Oman...
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
. The music video for Africa starts off with Wolf at his secret island resort on his laptop. He gets a call from Culture who's on a boat toward shore to meet up with Wolf. The next scene Wolf sees a sexy woman in a bikini on the beach and starts talking to her. Some other scenes in the video also take place at nighttime with Wolf, Culture, and the same sexy woman in a yellow bikini around a fireplace. The music video also reached #1 on the MuchMusic Countdown.
Chart performance
"Africa" first debuted at #88 on the Canadian Hot 100Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
based on airplay alone, then dropped four spots the next week. On the January 24, 2009 issue it skyrocketed from #92 to #45. In early March it was finally released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
for digital downloads, causing it rise up to the top five as it surged up from #32 to #2 on the issue of March 14, 2009 all based on a big number of downloads over the previous week. The song stayed at #2 for four more consecutive weeks on the charts dated between March 14 and April 11, 2009 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, only outsold by Flo Rida
Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from...
's "Right Round
Right Round
“Right Round” is a song performed by American rapper Flo Rida featuring pop singer Kesha from R.O.O.T.S., his second studio album. It was released to radio as the album's lead single on January 27, 2009 and was digitally released on February 10 by Poe Boy Entertainment and Atlantic Records...
" that stayed at #1 for those five weeks. It also spent three more weeks at #3 in the charts dated between April 18 and May 2, making it a run of 8 weeks in the Top 3. The single has stayed in the chart for a total 37 weeks.
In its twenty-sixth week on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, the song re-entered the top ten at #10.
This is Karl Wolf's most successful single to date. The music video of the song peaked at #1 on the MuchMusic Countdown
Countdown (MuchMusic TV series)
The MuchMusic Top 30 Countdown is a ninety-minute music video program block, that airs on Canadian music television station MuchMusic. Countdown is one of the oldest programs that continues to be aired on Much Music since its debut...
Top 30 charts on 9 July 2009 chart. The song has also found success in Japan, peaking at #20 on the Japan Hot 100 chart.
Charts
| Chart (2008–2009) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
2 |
| Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
20 |
Other versions
Karl Wolf includes three versions of the song in his 2009 album Bite the Bullet:- The official single
- A club version of Africa
- A video release version of Africa
It also appears as a bonus track in his third album Nightlife
Nightlife (Karl Wolf album)
Nightlife is the third solo studio album from singer-songwriter Karl Wolf. It was released initially to the Japanese market. The album was released in Canada on November 17th, 2009. The first single "Yalla Habibi" was released on iTunes October 28th, 2009 and reached #24 on the Canadian Hot 100...
In 2010, Karl Wolf also released a video version during the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
entitled "Africa (World Cup Edition)". The video produced by Lone Wolf and moCore and shot in Montreal shows Karl Wolf and a group of young soccer players. Very notably also, this remake doesn't include any vocals by Culture.
There is also a dance remix of the song by MC Joe and The Vanillas which peaked at #38 on the Canadian Hot 100 based on digital sales.
The song played in the background of a video footage from a May 12 American Idol (season 8)
American Idol (season 8)
The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
episode showing Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
in Africa.
A radio edit labeled "Top 40 No Rap Radio Edit" was released by Promo Only
Promo Only
Promo Only is a music and music video subscription service for professional disc jockeys. It was the first monthly music service available to music professionals on CD....
in the U.S.
Karl Wolf has also made a 2008 remake of his version of Africa retitled as The Song For Peace and completely new lyrics and dedicated to Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
with different lyrics, but sampling very largely on his earlier Africa hit. This Lebanon version although not found on his albums nor released as a single, remains very popular with the Lebanese public.
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | December 2008 | Radio (Airplay) Radio Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space... |
| 14 March 2009 | Digital Download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
|
| United States | February, 2010 | CD single, Digital download |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | MuchMusic Video Awards 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards The 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards were held in Toronto, Ontario at MuchMusic's headquarters on June 21, 2009. Along with the MuchMusic VJ's, on April 16, 2009, it was confirmed on the MuchMusic website that the Jonas Brothers would co-host the show. The show featured performances by The Black Eyed... |
Pop Video of the Year | "Africa" | |
| 2010 | Sounds of Blackness Award Sounds of Blackness Award Sounds of Blackness Award also known as S.O.B.A. or SOBA is an annual Canadian awards in hip hop and urban music in Quebec and Canada.... s |
Anglophone Song of the Year | "Africa" | |
| Canadian Radio Music Awards Canadian Radio Music Awards The Canadian Radio Music Awards are an annual series of awards presented by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters that are part of Canadian Music Week.... |
Best New Group or Solo Mainstream A/C Artist of the Year | Himself (for "Africa") | ||
| Best New Group or Solo Hot A/C Artist of the Year | Himself (for "Africa") |