(I know most of my readers check this blog during work. Watching two four minute videos simply won’t happen. If you can, watch the first minute of each. You’ll get the idea.)
This weekend I was at a tiny Wal-Mart in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. At least half of the customers were Somalis and most of the rest were of various ethnicities. I’m used to being one of the few anglo-saxons in a store in the Emirates. It was surprising to find it in the Midwest.
The experience was intensified because of an interview I heard last week with K’Naan. He sang the song that was adopted as the theme for the World Cup. I posted it earlier this summer and here’s a version with better subtitles:
It’s upbeat and inspiring.
In the interview I learned that K’Naan is Somali and the original version of the song tells a sad story: A violent prone nation with a street life that we simply can’t imagine here.
This is the original song with a few lyrics changed. (It also seems to have a slightly slower beat but I'm not sure that is my imagination.)
Young men and and women carrying automatic rifles on dirt streets.
The video was also educational. It refers to “Buffalo soldiers.” It’s an American reference and I didn’t know it. Without using Google, I’m curious if I’m the only one who didn’t know what it meant.
I love this song!
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