Just say no to Blatter and Shakira. Here's the real World Cup song

REVOLVER:EVERYONE hates the official Fifa World Cup song. We knew there was a problem with Shakira's Waka Wakawhen Fifa boss Sepp Blatter gushed that "it represents what we football fans can expect in South Africa – liveliness, power and dynamism. Nothing represents the joy of football better than music, especially when it is a song so full of energy and dynamism like Waka Waka."

Well, Sepp would say that,

given that the song has been stripped of all content and meaning to resemble nothing better than a tepid Eurovision regional heat entry. But there's a fair few problems with Waka Waka, apart from the fact that it's rubbish and no one likes it.

First, Shakira also did the “official theme song” for the 2006 World Cup. So, given that this is the first World Cup ever staged in the African continent, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that an African artist might have been considered.

Second, the song itself is no better than a cover version of a big Cameroonian hit from the 1980s ( Zangalewaby Golden Sounds), which seems to have been forgotten when the Waka Wakasongwriting credits were published. (Following legal manoeuvres, this has now been rectified, and Golden Sounds are now credited.)

Third, South African radio doesn't like it and people there think it's "horrible". Fourth, everyone's turning in droves to the "People's Choice" song – the excellent K'Naan's Wavin Flag.

Fifa never even pretended to match up their “official music” with those of the World Cup’s host nation. Officials reason that the World Cup is a universal affair, so they usually go for someone such as Ricky Martin (he did the honours a few World Cups ago) who has the “Global Brand” thing going on.

All fair enough, in its own anodyne way, but Shakira's Waka Wakaincludes words from the Fang language of Cameroon that are apparently mispronounced in the song. Not quite "representing the vitality and energy of the host continent" when you can't even get that bit right. And as for the bits in English: "The pressure is on, But you've got it all, When you fall get up, Oh oh . . . And if you fall get up, Oh oh." Jesus wept.

Struggling to break into the Top 40 in this part of the World, Waka Wakahas been justifiably supplanted by Wavin' Flag, which may well be No 1 in Ireland and the UK come this Sunday.

K’Naan is a rapper from Somalian rapper who fled the country when he was 13 because of the civil war. Now based in Canada, he’s nominally a “protest singer” whose frequent contributions to the debate about what is happening in Somalia today have placed him “offside” in liberal Western media terms. (K’aan is also in Herbie Hancock’s Imagine Project. See page 6.)

Wavin' Flagwas a big Canadian hit on its initial release in 2009, but earlier this year was picked up by a well-known water-with-lots- of-sugar-in-it soft drinks company. K'Naan's original lyrics were a bit too hot to handle for the multinational drinks company, which told Billboardthat lines about "a violent prone, poor people zone" and people "struggling, fighting to eat" didn't fit the campaign's theme.

The lines about “so many wars, settling scores” were replaced with “happier” sentiments, but the song still retains a potent kick. The chorus “When I get older, I will be stronger, they’ll call me freedom, just like a waving flag” was taken from K’Naan’s childhood experience growing up in Somalia.

Wavin' Flagis a massive hit in South Africa at the moment and is connecting because it is written by an African and deals with the African experience, even in its new watered-down version.

The song has a chilling resonance, given that its lyrics are about escaping from war in Somalia. Last week two people in that country were shot dead by militants from the Hizbul Islam group for the “crime” of watching the World Cup on television.

Music can matter, which is why at this World Cup, K'Naan's Wavin' Flagis the real anthem.