Were Toto right about Africa? Had they even visited Africa?
It’s been ages since I published a blog, hasn’t it Dearest Reader? Travel, IT problems, work commitments, the death of my beloved Baldrick – and plain old exhaustion – have taken their toll… but de Muzungu is back on form. I hope you can keep up?
Sunshine – and the promise of an evening filled with talk about Uganda and birds (and possibly even a sneaky little Uganda Waragi) – followed a captivating day at the UK Bird Fair. Driving along in evening sunshine, I follow Roger (driving the wrong way!) in his little red car.
I switch on the radio.
“Who would you like the request for?” Asks the DJ.
“Please play it for me and my husband who are going on Safari in Kenya this weekend.”
Negative African stereotype no. 1:
– The Caller pronounced it “Keeeenya,” the old colonial way.
“Sounds like the ‘holiday of a lifetime’!” Says the DJ.
“We’re taking a drive across the Rift Valley, then to the beach in Mombasa, hoping the pirates from Somalia don’t get us.” (The DJ agrees that being kidnapped by pirates would not make for a good holiday of a lifetime. Memory of a lifetime flashing before you, maybe!)
Negative African stereotype no. 2:
– Visiting the East African coast necessarily involves Somali pirates.
Negative African stereotype no. 3:
– We’re lucky that we know the Caller is going to Kenya, not just any old African country. She has no idea where in Keeeenya she’s actually going for her Safari.
“Where did you spend your honeymoon?” Asks the DJ.
“Cornwall,” she replies. (South West England). “Nothing to hunt there!” She jokes.
Negative African stereotype no. 4:
– Going on Safari equates to hunting animals.
The DJ corrects her: “I don’t think you’ll be hunting animals on Safari. We don’t do that anymore.” (Actually, there is limited, regulated hunting on some Safaris in Africa but the vast majority of holidaymakers just come to shoot with cameras).
“And what song would you like me to play for you Caller?”
“Africa” by Toto.
Negative African stereotype no. 5:
“Africa” by Toto.
I confess: I can’t help it, I love singing along to the song – perhaps because I’ve heard it a gazillion times.
But… it does seem a bit naff to be listening to it in Uganda – though God knows we hear it at least once every night if we’re at a local bar. Toto’s ‘Africa’ was released in 1983, here’s the video.
**Scroll down to find out what Toto’s Africa is really all about!*
I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She’s coming in 12:30 flight
The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation
I stopped an old man along the way
Hoping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies
He turned to me as if to say
“Hurry boy, it’s waiting there for you!”
It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had
The wild dogs cry out in the night [the Muzungu: that’ll be the street dogs running amok!]
As they grow restless longing for some solitary company
I know that I must do what’s right
Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti [the Muzungu: hmmm? geography!]
I seek to cure what’s deep inside
Frightened of this thing that I’ve become [the Muzungu: not a good lyric writer, I’m telling ya!]
It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had
Hurry boy, she’s waiting there for you
It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had
The Muzungu’s having mixed feelings now about singing along to Toto’s song ‘Africa.’ What a patronising load of crap.
So, Dearest Reader, apparently “this song tells the story of a man who comes to Africa and must make a decision about the girl who comes to see him. He is enamored with the country [Africa is a country is it?] but he must leave if he is going to be with her.”
Toto keyboard player David Paich wrote the song, and explained: “At the beginning of the ’80s I watched a late night documentary on TV about all the terrible death and suffering of the people in Africa. It both moved and appalled me and the pictures just wouldn’t leave my head. I tried to imagine how I’d feel about if I was there and what I’d do.” Paich had never been to Africa when he wrote the song.” [You don’t say!]
Jeez what did I start? I wish I hadn’t Googled this. What a depressing load of uneducated rubbish.
There’s so little exposure of the many wonderful, beautiful, talented and extraordinary things happening right now on this continent. Writing Diary of a Muzungu is my minuscule, personal attempt at trying to combat some of the many negative perceptions and untruths about Africa.
Yes Uganda does fit as a ‘holiday of a lifetime’. Been there and dunnit. Would love to do it again.
Lizziema – Well I take your wish as a promise then! See you in the Pearl of Africa soon soon!
I still love it! He has emotion in his voice when he sings it and it reminds me of a thousand waragi fuelled nights in Ugandan bars 🙂
However I do admit that I listened to it sober not long ago and queried some of the sentences! It’s artistic licence Cha xx
Nat – “Artistic licence” – that will be the Uganda Waragi talking! I admit this song’s a ‘real belter’ – and one of the few I know (just about) all the words to!
I’m actually planning to visit both Uganda and Rwanda next June. Really looking forward to it. The only other part of Africa that I’ve visited is South Africa and Botswana a few years ago. I found your blog when googling about Uganda and have been enjoying reading it.
Hi Barbara, thanks for taking the time to comment. You will love East Africa! Uganda and Rwanda are very different. Uganda is sprawling, disorganised, often hectic and very relaxed. Rwanda is far more organised, people are more reserved and of course the country is a lot smaller. I’ve travelled to Rwanda twice this year, and once to Burundi. Stacks more stories to write about each country. The food in Burundi has inspired me to create a new section all about African food & I’m adding new sections dedicated to Rwanda and Burundi. If you’d like to sign up to my newsletter, I’ll send you a link when the new sections go live. Where do you plan to go when you’re in Uganda?
Have spent several weeks in Uganda this spring, researching my thesis. Found that although it was confusing at times, there were many great people, many fascinating projects and a lot of things that just did not fit all those stereotypes about “Africa”. Never understood the meaning of that song when I was younger (internet and googling lyrics just didn’t exist yet) and now think it’s rather weird…but still like it because the 80s were just part of my youth 🙂
Thanks for commenting Sophie, and I agree, “Africa” is part of my youth too – damn Google for demystifying all my romantic ideas about the song!
Uganda is an incredible place. Not always easy to live and work here but I find visitors either stay or come back. That says a huge amount
Not very good at this blog lark – hence the first time I’ve left a message. Whilst Toto were warbling Africa, we were skiing by day and then dancing to that very number – along with Rick, Gipsy Kings, Gainsburg etc etc – by night at the Playboy. How many years ago???
Andrea! Thanks for commenting! Do you think I can EVER listen to that song w/out thinking about you? You and me sat with un demi at the bar, belting out the words… VIVE LE GROSSE EQUIPE! How many years ago? Not publicly posting the answer to that one darling! 😉 xx
Churchill did say Uganda was called ‘The pearl of Africa’ for a reason ……….
Even the most paranoid Traveller, find themselves quickly embraced, with a warmth, that can overwhelm the naturally reserved, but it comes from a good place, that is natural to US 🙂
Then any query is tackled with enthusiasm, whether we know the solution or not, understand the many accents or not, we just want to be there for our guests, with a smile …….. chances are they are our visitors for life ….. Welcome!
I’ve noticed something very special about visitors to Uganda: they either come back – or never leave! (Five years so far in my case…)
Thanks for making us feel so welcome 🙂
Having loved this Toto song since I was at school way back when, it did not come any better than singing along to it with my amazing muganda fiancee on my lap in a tired 90s Toyota Corona filled with a chorus of African friends bouncing along a sun struck but rain-rutted track between two villages unknown to Google maps. Except maybe for singing along to current Luganda hit “Ketchup na Chips” which followed even stronger. Toto, Tarzan, Lorne Greene and Hammond Innes introduced me to an exotic exciting Africa that still thrums today.
I’ve belted my lungs out to this song more times than I can remember! However somewhere along the way, we frequently find out the real story behind a song, film or story bears little resemblance to the places it is supposed to represent. I mean, did Tarzan ever exist?
src=”https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043265/mediaviewer/rm1050657792″ alt=””The African Queen” (1951) starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn” />
One favourite American film – filmed in Uganda and released in 1951 – is “The African Queen.” I can watch it again and again…