The account of Michael Jackson and Africa is that of a love story - one which was born in 1974 when he visited the continent for the first time, performing in Senegal with the Jackson 5. Michael relished every bit of the trip.
“When I came off the plane in Dakar, Senegal, Africa, we were greeted by a long line of African dancers. Their drums and sounds filled the air with rhythm. I was going crazy, I was screaming, ‘All right! They got the rhythm… This is it. This is where I come from."
In a May 1992 interview with Ebony Magazine, MJ described Africa as “home”.
Michael Jackson once said about the influence of African music on his own works: “The rhythms of Africa - which is the roots of rhythm - that’s my favorite music. I think that’s the favorite music of the world.
Here are some of Michael Jackson's songs that reflect his deep connection with Africa:
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"Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’"
“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” is the opening track off The King of Pop’s critically acclaimed sixth studio album “Thriller”. The song’s lyrics were however written by Cameroonian poet and musicologist S.M.
"Liberian Girl"
“Liberian Girl” is the ninth single off MJ’s “Bad” album released in 1987.The song became a commercial success and also received positive reception in Liberia, with women from the country viewing the song as empowering.
One Liberian woman identified as Margaret Carson in an interview with The Washington Times said: “When that music came out … the Liberian girls were so astonished to hear a great musician like Michael Jackson thinking about a little country in Africa.
The song opens with the South African jazz songstress Letta Mbulu saying the Swahili phrase “Naku penda piya-naku taka piya-mpenziwe,” which translates to “Love you too.
the actors of Michael Jackson Liberian girl from 1989 to 2022
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"In the Closet"
Michael Jackson’s second single from his 1992 released eighth studio album “Dangerous” details reminiscing a blissful romance. Promoted as a short film, the nine minutes long video’s imagery includes historical themes such as the pyramids of Giza, the sphinx and busts of Pharaohs. In an interview with Rev.
Great Sphinx of Giza
"Hold My Hand"
“Hold My Hand” - a collaboration with Akon, was one of the first posthumous singles by the King of Pop released on 15th November 2010. Speaking about his relationship with MJ, Akon said: “We got a chance to get to know and understand each other, and we developed a great friendship. He said: “It started off as a concept, me and Mike was actually speaking about creating music universities all throughout Africa… I’m giving them the tools, the instruments, the knowledge of the business.
Akon and Michael Jackson
"We Are the World"
"It was a visit to Senegal that made us realize how fortunate we were and how our African heritage had helped to make us what we were. We visited an old, abandoned slave camp at Gore Island and we were so moved.
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"We Are the World" gained further promotion and coverage on May 25, 1986, when it was played during a major benefit event held throughout the US.
"We Are the World" is a charity single recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones for the album We Are the World, meant to raise money for the 1983-1985 famine in Ethiopia.
Soon after the British group Band Aid released "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in December 1984, musician and activist Harry Belafonte decided to create an American benefit single for African famine relief. Mega-agent Ken Kragen enlisted several musicians for the project.
Jackson and Richie completed the writing the night before the first recording session, on January 28, 1985. The event brought together some of the era's best-known recording artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, and Tina Turner.
"We Are the World" was released on March 7, 1985, as the first single from the album by Columbia Records.
"We Are the World" was promoted with a music video, a VHS, a special edition magazine, a simulcast, and several books, posters, and shirts.
In 1985, inspired by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in the UK, the American entertainer and activist Harry Belafonte decided to organize a US equivalent. He planned to have the proceeds donated to a new organization, United Support of Artists for Africa (USA for Africa).
Belafonte contacted the entertainment manager and fundraiser Ken Kragen, who enlisted his clients Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers. Jackson told Richie that he wanted to help write the song.
Jackson and Richie wrote "We Are the World" at Hayvenhurst, the Jackson family home in Encino, California. They sought to write a song that would be easy to sing, memorable and anthemic.
For a week, they spent every night working on lyrics and melodies in Jackson's bedroom. Jackson's older sister La Toya recounted the process: "I'd go into the room while they were writing and it would be very quiet, which is odd, since Michael's usually very cheery when he works. Richie recorded two melodies for "We Are the World", to which Jackson added music on the same day.
Jackson said, "I love working quickly. I went ahead without even Lionel knowing. I couldn't wait. I went in and came out the same night with the song completed: drums, piano, strings, and words to the chorus."
Jackson presented his demo to Richie and Jones, who were both shocked; they did not expect him to complete the structure of the song so quickly. The next meetings between Jackson and Richie were unfruitful; they produced no additional vocals and got no work done.
Recording began on January 22, 1985, at Kenny Rogers' Lion Share Recording Studio on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles. The first day included Richie, Jackson, Wonder, and Jones, along with the session musicians Jones had hired to lay down the backing tracks: John "JR" Robinson on drums, Louis Johnson on bass, and pianist Greg Phillinganes.
The three had first played together on "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", produced by Jones for Jackson. Despite tight security, the studio was filled with the musicians, technicians, video crews, retinue, assistants, and organizers. Richie sat down at the piano to teach everyone the song.
When it was time to record, Robinson cleared the room of non-musicians. The session musicians recorded the backing tracks, then Richie and Jackson recorded a vocal guide. Jones selected the sixth take of the guide-he felt there was too much "thought" in the previous versions-and had it mixed with the instrumental tracks.
After the initial recording, Jackson and Jones began thinking of alternatives for the line "There's a chance we're taking, we're taking our own lives". The pair was concerned that line would be considered a reference to suicide.
As the group listened to a playback of the chorus, Richie declared that the last part of the line should be changed to "We're 'saving' our own lives". Jones also suggested altering the former part of the line.
"One thing we don't want to do, especially with this group, is look like we're patting ourselves on the back.
On January 24, 1985, after a day of rest, Jones shipped Richie and Jackson's vocal guide to all the artists who would be involved the recording. Enclosed in the package was a letter from Jones imploring the artists not to share the tape or make copies.
Ken Kragen chaired a production meeting at a bungalow off Sunset Boulevard on January 25, 1985. There, his team discussed where the recording sessions should take place. Prince, who would have had a part in which he and Michael Jackson sang to each other, did not attend.
One newspaper said that Prince did not want to record with other acts; another report, from the time of "We Are the World"'s recording, suggested that he did not want to partake because the organizer, Bob Geldof, called him a "creep".
During the session, Richie spoke with Prince on the phone, and declined Prince's offer to play a guitar solo in a separate room. Instead, Prince donated an exclusive track, "4 the Tears in Your Eyes", to the We Are the World album.
Wonder asked Eddie Murphy to participate, but Murphy declined because he was busy recording his single "Party All the Time". Murphy later said after he "realized what it was, [he] felt like an idiot".
John Denver had asked to participate but was rejected despite his previous commitment to charity work. Ken Kragen said it was due to some people feeling that Denver's image would affect the credibility of the song as a pop-rock anthem.
Several hours passed before Wonder announced that he would like to substitute a line in Swahili for the "sha-lum sha-lin-gay" sound, causing Waylon Jennings to leave.
A heated debate ensued, in which several artists also rejected the suggestion. The "sha-lum sha-lin-gay" sound ran into opposition as well and was removed. Jennings returned and participated in the recording.
The participants eventually decided to sing something meaningful in English.
On March 7, 1985, "We Are the World" was released as a single, in both 7-inch and 12-inch formats. The song was the only one released from the We Are the World album and became a chart success around the world.
The single was also a commercial success: the initial shipment of 800,000 "We Are the World" records sold out within three days of release.
The record became the fastest-selling American pop single in history.
At Tower Records in West Hollywood, 1,000 copies of the song were sold in two days. Store worker Richard Petitpas commented, "A number one single sells about 100 to 125 copies a week.
"We Are the World" received mixed reviews.
At the 1986 Grammy Awards, the song and its music video won four awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Music Video, Short Form.
We Are the World
The music video was awarded two honors at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards. It collected the awards for Best Group Video and Viewer's Choice.
People's Choice Awards recognized "We Are the World" with the Favorite New Song award in 1986.
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