Franck-Alcide Kacou, the director-general of Universal Music Africa, said on Friday that the team song of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 was designed to last beyond the tournament.
Mr Kacou said this in an interview in Lagos. He said the record company decided to take a different approach by doing something that would outlive the competition, hence the decision to record an extended play (EP) featuring various celebrated African musicians.
“We wanted to have a different approach from what has been done so far around anthems of previous AFCON events. We decided to treat this one like an actual music project that could be the soundtrack of the competition and outlive it.
“We had a whole plan from the first quarter of 2023, and we rolled it out perfectly with the help of the artists, the Confederation of African Football and the local organising committee,” he said.
He explained that the EP paid tribute to the continent’s cultural diversity and the warm welcome of the land of Eburnie.
Mr Kacou added that the AFCON anthem was an explosion of rhythms and melodies embodying the unique spirit of hospitality, passion and celebration.
“It is carried by the incredible artistic talents of superstars and this musical work is the sound box of cultural richness and melodious generosity of a continent ready to party. Bringing the artists together was an amazing experience that came out great.
“Everybody came together as one team. First, like a football match and playing his or her role for the sake of the project and the competition.
“It was actually easier than expected to produce the EP and we are fortunate to have been able to pilot this,” Mr Kacou said.
On the outcome of the AFCON anthem, Kacou stated that it was embraced globally and that people had been embracing the anthem and its video like never before in the history of AFCON events.
He said music and football could be harnessed to push a positive narrative for Africa and Africans, noting that football, sports, and lifestyle/entertainment were interconnected.
“I am sure the EP is going to help amplify the impact globally. Especially on the continent today, the audience is usually the same, the success stories are usually linked, and all industries can benefit from this global narrative.
“We’ve witnessed how Roc Nation went from managing artists, to adding sportsmen and women to their roster. I believe this is where we’re heading more and more, and Africa is a fertile field for such a model,” he said.
The six-track EP features African musical heavyweights, including Yemi Alade, Magic System, Didi B, Roselyne, Layo, Serge Beynaud, Kerozen, CYsoul, Vegedream, Ayanne, Kaaris, Josey, among others. NAN
Frank Kacou and Yemi Alade