Oh Africa!- Sensational

Inspiration can come in many forms, sizes and shapes... It can be in what we watch... or hear... or read... What caught my eye, this lazy morning was a simple video (Pepsi advertisement actually) that totally bowled me over. Its concept is simple- call it playful, call it unity or simply call it "Oh Africa!"; the way the makers have done. The music is magnificent to hear and the lyrics are nothing but sensational. 


I later realized that the song's actually from a new album by Akon and Keri Hilson... and the inspiration is... Football! 


When you see the original video, you'll be enthralled by the colours used, just about everywhere. The animated graffiti in the background is another thing you'll find hard to miss. Oh and in the end- when they hit the footballs on the wall and splash...! come out colourful faces... I totally loved that scene. Very creative, I say. :)


The video goes like this...


It starts off by showing a vibrat-colourful room with a map of africa, which then shows 4 people appearing playing drums with dust shooting up from them. They also appear wearing body paint with the same pattern as the wall. Akon then starts singing as more scenes of the drum players is shown. Keri starts singing as the screen is shown being decorated with moving paint in front of her. Akon shows up again with a young african choir, singing with a sunset background. Then scene skips to the body paint room were different people are shown with their face painted, a different country for each as they sing along. Akon is also shown dancing with Keri in the room with the moving paint between scenes. More Keri shows as she sings as the choir scene comes up variously. A scene also shows Keri with the choir. The Footballers Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, Kaká, Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Andrei Arshavin  (I had to check internet for this... :P) then are shown kicking water ballon like footballs hitting the wall as images appear of them, with similar body paint found on the single cover. Images of other scenes are also shown eg. The african choir and Keri lying on a Zebra pattern like cover. The end shows a wall with the footballers cheering.


And here's the Lyrics:


Oh Africa...

I know that we have to take it to the goal 'cause everyone's depending on we
See we ain't got nowhere to go but up, it's our destiny

We're choosing the way, we'll do what it takes to get to the top of the highest mountain
We'll do anything, we got to prove ourselves 'cause we know

Oh Africa...

See we'll never be able to forget this day 'cause it's the greatest day of our life
See no matter what happens at least we can say "we came, we saw, we tried"

We're choosing nowhere, we'll do what it takes to get to the top of the highest mountain
We'll do anything, we got to prove ourselves 'cause we know

Oh Africa...

This is our time to shine, our time to fly, our time to be inside the sky
Our time to soar, our time to saw, the last one in football

Oh Africa... 




Feel free to check out the videos yourself... It really is inspiring. :)


The Pepsi advertisement @
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXH6U_2xiic


The original track by Akon & Keri Hilson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLwrQE3grGY