Prince Is King

The FIFA World Cup 2006 has come to an end with the African teams having added excitement, colour and fun to the tournament.

Now it is time to celebrate their contribution and also look ahead to 2010 when the first FIFA World Cup to be held on African soil will kick off in South Africa.

The album ?Africa Plays On? (released by Because on 31 July) showcases the vivid and rich diversity of the continent?s music. The project was conceived by PUMA and New York-based music production collective ONDA to support PUMA?s World Cup campaign with the charitable organisation UNITED FOR AFRICA.

Inspired by the six sub-Saharan African Football Associations who are sponsored by PUMA - Angola, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Togo - it includes tracks from each of these musically-rich nations, plus contributions from artists around the world.

?Africa Plays On? features a number of collaborations including US-based Senegalese rapper Akon?s reworking of Malian duo Amadou and Mariam?s ?Coulibaly?, The Roots-produced ?Kettode? by Senegal?s Baaba Maal and ?Silani? by Guinea?s Ba Cissoko and Canadian-based Somalian rapper K?Naan (who has recently been touring the world with Damian Marley).

?Cocody Rock?, the Ivory Coast classic by reggae artist Alpha Blondy, is remixed and features France?s Neg? Marrons; Angolan vocalist Waldemar Bastos features the Jamaican artist Chaka Demus on a rework of ?Pitangha Madurinha? while Cameroon?s Manu Dibango (of ?Soul Makossa? fame) joins ONDA for ?Ngando?, a remix of the PUMA ?Welcome to Football? advertisement.

Other tracks are ?Kelli Magni? by Senegalese multi-instrumentalist Cheikh L? (a track produced by Nick Gold of Buena Vista Social Club fame); ?Wahala? by Nigeria?s Wahala Project, featuring musicians from Fela Kuti?s band; the much-acclaimed Senegalese rappers Daara J with ?Number One?; ?Yaa Densoa?, a hip-life track by Ghanaian rapper Tic Tac; ?Defaal Lu Wor? by Wasis Diop - a roots-inspired interpretation of the Talking Heads ?Once In A Lifetime?; ?Watusi? by the pioneering London-based Ghanaian band Osibisa and ?Amen? by King Mensah, known as the ?golden voice of Togo?.

The album opens with ?Please Don?t Stop?, a collaboration between America?s Grammy-winner John Legend and Cameroon?s Richard Bona, and closes with a Louie Vega remix of ?2000 Blacks Got To Be Free? by Fela Kuti and Roy Ayers.

Rene Arsenault, Executive Producer of the album, says: ?We saw a great opportunity to feature some of the most amazing musicians in the world, and our partners (PUMA and Because) shared our vision and let us run with it.

It?s like a conversation in the purest form, which represents the true spirit of African music ? it?s something that should be shared in order to grow. This is what we wanted to capture on the album.?

Antonio Bertone, Global Director of Brand Management for PUMA explains the brand?s involvement in the project: ?Like football, music is an integral part of African culture. ?Africa Plays On? illustrates the connection between sport and culture, something that is inherent to the PUMA brand.

The CD compilation project is one element of our special charitable collection to benefit UNITED FOR AFRICA?s humanitarian efforts across the continent.?