The influence of West African music is inescapable. From the mbalax rhythms of Senegal to the reggae of the Ivory Coast; the heavy funk of Cameroon to the hip life of Ghana, Africa has been planting the seeds of modern music for generations while its roots continue to spread throughout the world.
Transcending borders, languages and cultures, these roots have spawned new voices, unique stories and shared passions. African artists are now influenced by the very music they inspired, creating an ongoing musical dialogue that continues to evolve.
This is the spirit of Africa Plays On, an album that was conceived by Puma and NY-based music production collective Onda. Puma is current kit supplier to Football Associations of African countries Angola, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia. With five of these teams playing in the World Cup, and PUMAs partnership with charitable organization UNITED FOR AFRICA, PUMA enlisted Onda to write a musical score for their Welcome to Football advertising campaign. Shortly afterwards, Onda proposed a compilation CD featuring artists from the musically-rich region, enlisted Paris-based record label Because Music and Africa Plays On was born.
Antonio Bertone, Puma Global Director of Brand Management explains Pumas involvement in the project:
The CD is just one element of a special charitable collection which allows us to assist UNITED FOR AFRICA on their mission to support humanitarian efforts across Africa. Much like music, football in Africa has become the language of freedom and we view this compilation as an opportunity to shine a spotlight on these often-overlooked African artists. Africa Plays On creates an inextricable link between African football, its music and culture and will benefit local African projects under the umbrella of UNITED FOR AFRICA.
The CD will be available on June 5th at major music retailers worldwide, PUMA concept stores and UNITED FOR AFRICA retail trams in Berlin throughout the World Cup.
www.puma.com
www.because.tv
www.ondaproductions.com
