Feature Song: “Africa”
Toto, often stylized as TOTO, is an American rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1977. I had not heard the song for quite some time when I stumbled upon (perhaps a more accurate statement is after hours of YouTube scrolling!) my chosen cover version of their hit song, “Africa.” I do remember liking the song back then, but I was not an avid follower of the group, and to be honest I aways thought they fell into that category of “one-hit-wonders.” Imagine my surprise to find out that they have released 14 studio albums (1978-2018), have sold over 40 million records worldwide, received several Grammy awards, and were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009. On the list of their Top 10 songs, “Africa,” at number four, was the only one I had ever heard of! The group combines various elements from pop, rock, soul, funk, hard rock, R&B, blues, and jazz, all of which gives them a unique sound.
When they formed, the original members were David Paich (keyboards, vocals) and Jeff Porcaro (drums), both of whom had played together as session musicians on several albums. David Hungate (bass), Steve Lukather (guitar, vocals), Steve Porcaro (keyboards, vocals), and Bobby Kimbal (vocals) were all recruited before the release of their eponymous debut album in 1978. The Top 5 single from that album, “Hold the Line,” brought the band some mainstream attention, but it was their fourth album, Toto IV (1982) that brought them global attention, featuring “Africa,” which topped the charts and “Rosanna” reaching number 2. These two songs helped Toto become one of the best-selling music groups of that era. There have been several line-up changes over the years, with some members leaving and returning, and Steve Lukather is the only remaining original member.
The initial idea and the lyrics for the song came from David Paich while he was playing around with a new keyboard, finding a brassy sound that eventually became the opening riff for “Africa.” He then completed the melody and the lyrics fairly quickly but kept refining them for about six months before presenting the song to the rest of the band. In an interview in 2015, he explained that “the song is about a man’s love of a continent, Africa, rather than just a personal romance.” He based the lyrics “on a late night documentary with depictions of African plight and suffering.” He said” “It both moved and appalled me, and the pictures just wouldn’t leave my head.” Some have argued that the song’s “musically ‘indelible’ nature and status as a song that exists to be sung has given it a cultural staying power over the decades.”
I have featured the MonaLisa Twins once before (July 2024 DUTC#77) with their cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What it’s Worth,” which I felt was very well done, as is the case with their cover of “Africa.” They are a pop-rock band fronted by Vienna-born twin sisters Mona (vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion, harmonica, flute, recorder) and Lisa Wagner (vocals, lead guitar, ukulele, cello) and known for their YouTube cover videos, many of which have been released on a series of albums. They have also released three albums of original material inspired by the music of the 1960s. They are produced by their father, Rudolph Wagner, who also plays bass and piano and co-writes and arranges their music. They relocated to England in 2014, and for their live performances they usually perform as a four-piece while being backed by different bassists and drummers. Their latest release was Duo Sessions ll in 2013. Their cover of “Africa” is a departure from their normal live performances. They are accompanied by the internationally acclaimed acoustic artist, Mike Massé, on guitar and vocal who, coincidentally enough, did his own cover of Toto’s song. If you’re keeping track, that’s a two-for-one!
Enjoy
Toto. “Africa” 1982.
MonaLisa Twins. “Africa” cover featuring Mike Massé. Live from Liverpool 2019.
Once again, two bonus videos. A live performance by Toto in Amsterdam in support of their 11th studio album, Through the Looking Glass in 2003. The second is another cover by Weezer (2018), which contributed to the song’s regained popularity.
Toto. “Africa” live 2003.
Weezer. “Africa” cover 2018.
Los Angeles 2024
I really only know the hits from Toto, but this is a great one. Nice to hear the MonaLisa Twins again, very nice job and have heard of Mike Massé but don’t think I have listen to him before. That Weezer cover is very note for note is it not! You must be so tired of seeing Christmas song posts!
I know, that’s why I included it as a bonus. It really is note for note! Nah, however I am tired of hearing very annoying Christmas songs in every store I go into. Hmmm, an Annoying Christmas song special next year perhaps? On second thought, we might get raked over the coals for that one!
Let’s do it!
Alrighty. According to the schedule, you’ve got Dec.13, and I have the 27th. We can do a pre and post annoying x-mas songs. Trust me, there is no shortage of them!
I am sure!
If it was up to my wife she’d pick Mariah Carey. I”d be run off of WordPress!
Haha. Look at the bright side, there is no such thing as virtual tar and feathering!
Nevertheless I will steer clear of that! I already seem to have adopted a spammer I can’t get rid of!
Smart move. Sorry to hear that, haven’t had the pleasure yet!
Hopefully the WordPress thingy will figure it out soon.
I liked Toto’s music from the beginning, and one of my favorites of their songs is “Georgy Porgy”. I loved “Rosanna” and “Africa” too, though I think the instrumentation is better than the lyrics. For years, I thought they were singing “I guess the rain’s down in Africa” and “sure as Kilamanjaro rises like a Leopress above the Serengeti”, though I don’t think Leopress is a real word. The MonaLisa Twins/Mike Massé cover is very nice too.
Ah, miss-heard lyrics. I guess I’ll have to listen to the song again, I still think that’s what their singing!