News: Canadian hip hop artist’s song named World Cup’s anthem

Canada’s national team failed to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but that doesn’t mean soccer’s showcase tournament will be without Canadian content.

A remixed version of Wavin’ Flag, a song by Somalia-born Canadian hip hop artist K’Naan, has been chosen as the official song of next year’s World Cup in South Africa.

The track will be used as the musical element throughout the competition, including on global TV commercials, and will be played at all FIFA events during the month-long tournament.

Wavin’ Flag: The Celebration Mix is a remix of the original track off K’Naan’s third album, Troubadour, released earlier this year.

K’Naan, currently on tour in Africa, was born Keinan Abdi Warsame in Somalia in 1978 before moving to the U.S. and relocating to Toronto. His name, K’naan, means “traveller” in the Somali language.

This is not the first time a Canadian musician’s song has been feted by the soccer world.

Forca, off Grammy Award winner Nelly Furtado’s 2003 album Folklore, was selected the official song of Euro 2004, the European soccer championship.

Furtado, a Portuguese-Canada raised in Victoria, B.C., performed the song prior to the tournament final in Lisbon.

source: cbc.ca