Tag: Somalia

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K’Naan launches Coca-Cola World Cup campaign

Somalian-born, Canadian-based hip-hop artist K’Naan has specially recorded a version of the song “Wavin’ Flag”, originally featured on his 2009 album Troubadour, for the Coca Cola sponsored 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament, hosted by South Africa. The remix, “Wavin’ Flag (The Celebration Mix)”, will be part of Coke’s global integrated marketing campaign rolling out in over 150 countries this summer. The track will be used as the main music element throughout the entire campaign including as the soundtrack on all TV commercials, played at FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola events, featured on the online digital platform and more.

The campaign developed to support (Coke’s) sponsorship of the landmark sporting event is an extension of the current Coca-Cola brand platform “Open Happiness. (It) invites fans to express their optimism and passion for football through active dance celebrations.

Video: K’Naan World Cup Coke commercial featuring Spanish pop singer David Bisbal

Video: Coke FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour multimedia booth

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Liya Kebede stars in Somali supermodel Waris Dirie’s biopic

Supermodel Waris Dirie’s book Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad, published in 1999, helped fuel the open discussion of female genital mutilation in her native Somalia. After spawning two follow-up books, Desert Dawn and Desert Children, the original book is now premiering as a feature film starring another supermodel, Ethiopian Liya Kebede. Watch the trailer for the new movie “Desert Flower (“Wüstenblume” )” below. More about the movie here.

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(via Africa_Visual_Media)

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Refugee entrepreneurs

Somali Bantu Women entrepreneursFortune Magazine has a great feature on African refugees who have fled their homeland and have started businesses in America. This feature highlights one of the undeniable strengths of the USA. While the country has enough problems to put it on many people’s hate lists, I doubt anyone can deny that this country is at the top of the list for business opportunity. While there is no level playing field for people of color, there are more than enough opportunities to make a living and chase your dreams. America is one of the few places that determination is rewarded, however strange the reward may be (queue “Star Spangled Banner”). Especially in todays world adopting a long tail mentality is the way to go.

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Darfur: Who needs the UN when you have MTV

MTV Darfur is Dying video gameEvery so often African issues grow beyond the continent and makes it’s way into pop culture. In a capitalist society, social consciousness is a commodity and Africa’s problems are not exempt. As with Somalia (Black Hawk Down), and Sierra Leone (Diamonds from Sierra Leone) the problems in Darfur, Sudan has begun to hit the mass media. What has been a problem for years is peaking everyone’s interest. After Anna Nicole Smith and the Lakers, Darfur is becoming the latest trendy cause. First actor George Clooney speaks out and now everyone’s favorite peddlers of pop culture MTV, is playing it’s part in a way only they can, through a video game: Darfur is Dying. Could it be possible that a simple game of side and seek is enough to inform regular people about the situation at hand? With some questioning the rational behind creating such a game you can only imagine the impression “players” get of the situation and Africans as a whole. Forget guns and diplomacy, you too can save the Africans from themselves. Enjoy.