‘Waka Waka’ scandal? Shakira and producer John Hill made millions from song meant for charity

The 2010 FIFA World Cup official song “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” was supposed to raise money for African charities, but since 2014, no clear accounting of the funds has been made. The song was a huge global hit. Shakira teamed up with American producer John Hill and South African band Freshlyground.

It went platinum in the USA, diamond in France, Brazil, Germany, Sweden, and topped charts in 11 other countries, including Italy and Spain, where it stayed number one for over 15 weeks. Its YouTube video has over 4.3 billion views, and it has nearly 1 billion Spotify streams, as reported by Josimar.

Waka Waka money problem

FIFA and Sony Music announced on 26 April 2010 that all proceeds would go to FIFA’s “20 Centers for 2010” campaign, building 20 football-based centers in Africa for education, health, and football. Shakira expressed her joy, saying the campaign supported education, and then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter praised the song as symbolizing African rhythm and identity.


Thanks to the song’s initial success, the centers were built within four years, but after 2014, the money vanished. Despite millions of streams, views, and downloads, the revenue disappeared without public explanation. Freshlyground asked Sony Music and FIFA, but got no answers.

Who really earned from Waka Waka

Shakira claimed she wrote the chorus herself, but it was lifted note-for-note from Cameroonian band Zangalewa’s 1986 hit “Zamina Mina”. Zangalewa’s leader, Jean-Paul Zé-Bella, said the song was based on a military march learned during service in Cameroon’s presidential guard. Their viral video made the song famous across West Africa.

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The song caused outrage in French-speaking Africa, as the chorus was almost identical to Zangalewa’s, with only minor changes (“nawa ah ah” replaced by “this time for Africa”). Sony Music claimed Shakira co-wrote the song, but media pressure led to an agreement in May 2010. Zangalewa reportedly got $400,000 as an advance and 33.33% of publishing income, shared between Zé-Bella, Eugene Victor Doo Belley, and Emile Kojidie, as per the report by Josimar.

Who made money from Waka Waka

Freshlyground got 4% of publishing income (0.57% each), John Hill 23.33%, and Shakira 39.34%. Shakira and John Hill kept their publishing rights, meaning they earned money from the first sale of the song, unlike true charity records like Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas”.

Freshlyground only recorded parts of the song in New York, under John Hill’s supervision, to fulfill FIFA’s requirement that African musicians be involved. Shakira barely interacted with them until the World Cup final. The “master rights” income (from sales, streams, downloads) mostly went to Shakira and Hill, not charities.

Streams and performance rights continue generating income, estimated at around $9 million, but only FIFA and Sony Music know the exact figure. Shakira still performs “Waka Waka” on tours, earning more money each time, while African charities see little to none of it. Josimar contacted Shakira, John Hill, Sony Music, and FIFA; no responses yet.

He is also trying to reach Zangalewa’s surviving members. The music video, shot by Marcus Raboy and choreographed by Hi-Hat, also featured Shakira meeting Gérard Piqué, her future partner and father of two of her children.

FAQs

Q1. Did the money from Shakira’s Waka Waka song go to African charities?
No, most of the money went to Shakira and producer John Hill, and very little reached the charities.

Q2. Who actually wrote the Waka Waka chorus?
The chorus was taken from Cameroonian band Zangalewa’s 1986 song “Zamina Mina,” not originally by Shakira.