Songs for Bafana

The second in our playlists for the national teams in the 2013 African Cup of Nations. This one is for the hosts, South Africa.

Bafana Bafana celebrates a rare goal.

Against expectations, South Africa finished top of their group and made it to the quarterfinals of the African Cup of Nations. Hopefully, the team and coaches will concentrate on the next match and not get carried away like the country’s sports minister after the 2-0 win over Angola last week. (He railed against white supremacy and unpatriotic critics and predicted South Africa would win the tournament.) So what are the South Africans dancing to? Tumi and the Volume’s “Afrique” poetically mentions all African countries except South Sudan, which didn’t exist when the song was recorded, backed by 340ml in this colossal union:

Vetkuk vs Mahoota ft. Dr Malinga. “Via Orlando“: This is the current anthem from clubs to shebeens with Dr. Malinga’s kicks, or are its dance moves amusing all those who have seen it?

Zubz, “Premier MC“: The Zambian-born, Zimbabwe- and South African-based rapper is at his creative best in this song where he compares a tight MC to a football team, dropping some names in between taken from his best album Headphone Music in a Parallel World.

Sifiso Sudan ft. Tumi, “Once Upon A Time in Africa“: Two wordsmiths came together to offer this timeless class where they rap about an Africa of yesteryear with all eyes on the continent; it’s feating to take those watching back a few years to appreciate the present even more.

Spoek Mathambo, “Let Them Talk“: Mathambo has become an international hipster superstar with his “engineered” music, infusing different genres from rap to pop to create his unique sound. The title is one Bafana Bafana players should remember as they attempt to rewrite their recent history.

Further Reading