'Africa' by Toto to play on infinite loop in Namib desert
The installation is fuelled by solar batteries 'to keep Toto going for all eternity'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Namib Desert will host an art installation that plays Toto’s “Africa” on loop.
Namibian artist Max Siedentopf has set up a sound installation in the coastal desert that, according to the BBC, is fuelled by solar batteries “to keep Toto going for all eternity”.
The set-up includes six speakers attached to an MP3 player with the single track on it.
“Africa”, released in 1982, has since gone quadruple platinum, and was the most streamed song in 2017, with over 440m views on YouTube, becoming deeply embedded in today’s meme and pop culture.
The song was most recently covered by Pitbull in the Warner Bros’ film Aquaman, with Mr Worldwide adding new lyrics – some about Banksy, others about the sea – and having Rhea sing the chorus.
“[I] wanted to pay the song the ultimate homage and physically exhibit ‘Africa’ in Africa,” the 27-year-old artist said. “Some [Namibians] love it and some say it’s probably the worst sound installation ever. I think that’s a great compliment.”
He said that he hopes the song will play for 55m years, adding: “Most parts of the installation were chosen to be as durable as possible, but I’m sure the harsh environment of the desert will devour the installation eventually.”
Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments