Singer explains why he’s wavin’ his flag for Coke

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This article was published 13/06/2010 (5915 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

K’Naan brought Wavin’ Flag to the FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert June 10 in Johannesburg, with the help of drummers, dancers, the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am and several thousand flag wavers in the audience.

The song is the official anthem for Coca-Cola’s World Cup campaign, but since it’s being rejigged to suit the massive athletic event, sponsors reportedly wanted to make a few adjustments beyond the addition of a Black Eyed Pea and DJ David Guetta to the track.

Lyrics such as "struggling, fighting to eat," which painted a sombre picture of the rapper’s home country of Somalia (never mind the original version’s content as a song about the rapper leaving the country on the cusp of civil war), apparently made Coca-Cola feel a little too dark and twisty inside. So as Billboard reports, he suggested that he change the lyrics to be more befitting a "celebration mix."

"I saw it as an opportunity to reach more people," K’Naan told Billboard. "I don’t work for Coke or anything; what I do is my music. This was a really great opportunity for them to use my song without compromising my integrity as a musician. This is what I write, these are the songs I make. I’m happy about it."

For the World Cup campaign, Wavin’ Flag (Celebration Mix) has been re-recorded 12 times to feature pop stars from different countries, Billboard reports, and will introduce the Toronto-raised star to a global audience. The single is being released in 150 countries, the mag reports.

 

— Canwest News Service