In the months preceding the 2008 U.S. Presidential Elections, Barack Obama became something of a phenomenon in the international community. From Jamaica to Africa, as well as throughout the United States, songs about Barack Obama emerged throughout the campaign. Now that Obama has won the election, we'll just have to see if the songs keep pouring in!
Extra Golden is a multi-racial Kenyan group who combine Kenyan
Benga music with American
rock, seeking the best of both worlds. That combination makes them the perfect band to start off this list, as Barack Obama is also half Kenyan and half Caucasian-American. The lyrics to this song are not in English, but I have heard in no uncertain terms that it is a song of praise and kinship.
Cocoa Tea is a
reggae performer who gives a hefty rundown of the reasons he believes Obama should be president in this catchy song. As far as I know, Cocoa Tea is not a U.S. citizen, but clearly believes strongly in Barack Obama's potential influence on the world at large.
I found this song somewhat randomly on YouTube, but fell in love with it fairly quickly. I had a hard time finding information about Docta Musica WashiWara, but I do know that he's from
Cameroon, a country in West Africa, and that he clearly seems to love Barack Obama. This song and its video have a great homemade aesthetic - a little goofy, but definitely very fun.
Fojeba is a Cameroon-born Canadian citizen who is renowned worldwide for his sensitive Latin-influenced African guitar music. This song features those pleasant guitar stylings, nice vocals, and samples of Barack Obama's very own voice, snipped from various inspiring speeches. This particular track is more about hope and less about politics, but definitely fits in nicely with the others.
Mighty Sparrow, the legendary star of
calypso music, impressively manages to tackle a wide variety of political and social issues while keeping this song upbeat and fun. "Barack the Magnificent" is actually a great primer on Obama, if you're not already familiar with his policies and platforms.
