14:59 | Miami, Jun. 17 (ANDINA).
The official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa “Waka waka (This time for Africa)” is giving its author Shakira a headache as it actually belongs to a group from Cameroon.
The Dominican singer-songwriter Wilfrido Vargas is preparing a lawsuit against her.
Wilfrido Vargas claims that he has a song called “El Negro No Puede” that Shakira allegedly copied for the content of Waka Waka.
Now, it is said that Wilfrido Vargas is suing the Colombian singer for the amount of $11 million.
The Colombian press is defending Shakira by proving that the song belongs to a group from Cameroon.
The song is inspired by the 1986 global hit “Zangalewa” by the group Golden Sounds of Cameroon. The song features Zolani Mahola of the South African group Freshlyground, singing in Xhosa, one of the official languages of South Africa.
When comparing the two songs, there seems to be copied content. Due to the alleged plagiarism, authorities could possibly rule in favor of Wilfrido Vargas.
But if the authorities were to find Shakira guilty of plagiarism, $11 million is like one strand of her knappy cat hair. So it’s likely that Waka-Waka will continue.
(END) MMB/JCG/LVT
Video: “Zangalewa” by the group Golden Sounds of Cameroon.
Published: 6/17/2010