Toto - Africa (1982): song history

"Africa" is a song recorded by the American rock band Toto in 1982. "Africa" describes the predicament of a guy who has to choose between two "loves": the continent of Africa and the girl he finds there.

Co-writer David Paich (Toto's keyboardist and vocalist) said he was inspired to write the song when he watched a documentary about "death and suffering" (about people's lives in Africa) in the early 80s. According to Paich, the horrific images of suffering stayed in his head for a long time, making him imagine how he would feel and what he would do if he were there himself.

"Africa" actually has a number of interpretations, one of which is an invitation to immerse yourself in that horrible atmosphere (as it was in Africa at the time the song was written), to try to make up your mind, figure out what to do and maybe help those people.

In a 2015 interview, Paich said the song was about a man's deep love for Africa. Three years later, the songwriter described the song as a song about someone flying to a faraway country to meet a lonely missionary. Incidentally, growing up, Paich went to Catholic school, and many of the teachers at his school often travelled to Africa to work as missionaries. These sentiments are expressed in the words "I bless the rains in Africa."

The line "I'm looking for a cure for what's hidden deep inside, fearing what I've become" reflects a personal reflection in which the singer sees the need to take a break from work and make time for other important things in life.

Paich himself deciphered the meaning of the line. In an interview, Paich said that the time of writing the song was a period in his life when he was fully committed to his music career. He felt that he was becoming a victim of his work. He noticed that he couldn't focus on the important things in life that people his age do, such as getting married and starting a family.

The word "Kilimanjaro" in the line "It is as immutable as Kilimanjaro, like Olympus towering over the Serengeti"... Mount Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania. On the other hand, "Serengeti" refers to the Serengeti ecosystem, which is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. The Serengeti is located in Tanzania and Kenya. As for "Olympus", it is the highest mountain in Greece. Therefore, given the fact that Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti are located in the same region (northern Tanzania), then the writer/author has the right to refer to Kilimanjaro as towering over the Serengeti.

Facts about the song "Africa"

• "Africa" was written by David Paich and renowned American drummer, songwriter and music producer Jeff Porcaro.
• Porcaro died at the premature age of 38 from a cocaine-induced heart attack. His tragic death occurred on 5 August 1992 (some 9 years after the release of Afrika). In 1993, he was honoured with a posthumous induction into the Modern Drummer's Hall of Fame.
• At the time the song was written, none of the writers had been to the African continent.
  The track's production was handled by Toto.
• The song was officially released in Europe on 10 May 1982 and in the United States on 30 October 1982 as the third single from the band's fourth studio album entitled Toto IV , which won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1983.
• In place of Toto vocalist Joseph Williams, Payche did the vocals on this track, making it one of the few Toto songs he sang on himself.
• "Africa" became Toto's first No. 1 hit. To date, the song is the group's only No. 1 hit.
• The track peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart.
• The track was one of the most famous and successful global hits of the 1980s. According to the Toto members, they never expected the song to be so successful
• The music video "Africa" was directed by renowned Irish film and music video director Steve Barron. Barron is known in the music industry for directing famous music videos such as Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean", a-ha's "Take on Me" and Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing". He also directed Toto's global hit "Roseanne" in 1982.
• Although "Africa" became a major worldwide hit, it never won a Grammy. However, the album (Toto IV) on which the track appeared won 6 Grammy Awards at the 1983 Grammy Awards, including a Grammy for "Best Album of the Year". The album's lead single "Rosanna" also won a Grammy in 1983.
• Which musicians have performed "Africa"? Since the song was released in 1982, it has been sampled by several artists including rapper Nas and singer JoJo. One of the most notable is the 2003 hit "Murder Reigns" by American rapper Ja Rule.
• What music genre does "Africa" belong to? It is a soft rock / light rock song.
• One of the most famous covers has been released by American rock band Weezer. The band released a cover of the song on 29 May 2018, after a 14-year-old fan girl launched a social media campaign in December 2017 to convince the band to write the song.