I love "sports music". I put sports music in quotations because it is not an official music genre, but it is about time it is recognized as such. From "We Will Rock You" by Queen, to Epic Hip-Hop recognizables, anthemic songs are crucial to hype up the crowd, while waiting for the games to begin or end.
I had the honor to assist global music artist Mohamed Ramadan in spreading the word via U.S. national PR in collaboration with Stradagy Group about his exciting and touching sports anthem "Akwaba". Akwaba was a collaboration with Yemi Alade and Magic System for the 2024 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) opening ceremonies in West Africa's Côte d'Ivoire. This collaboration comes after solidifying an incredible partnership with music mogul Wassim "Sal" Slaiby, CEO of SALXCO, from which the opportunities to launch the official anthem and performances at the African Cup of nations ceremonies came from.
I precisely love that Ramadan is part of this collaboration because he identifies himself as an Egyptian, Arabian and African artist. With Yemi Alade and Magic System, together they embodied the African Continent's soul through music and heartfelt performances. The display of flags of countries in Africa was the cherry on top.
Given that the African-American community in the United States has become more in tune with their roots than ever, in addition to the importance of music and stadium anthems, it was crucial to write about AFCON's Anthem "Akwaba" and their performers.
I still remember when I was a little child watching live on T.V. Lionel Ritchie's "All Night Long" for the closing ceremony of 1984 olympics. The feeling of excitement was felt among my family, and also in the crowd and athletes on the screen. The memory still lingers in me and I am sure "Akwaba" did the very same thing for the young and old generations in Africa and beyond.