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TOP 5 Most recognizable African Songs

5. Almost anything by Koffi Olomide
Koffi Olomide had people waiting with bated breath for his shows. It could have been his ndombolo dancers that attracted them, but it was his ability to sing, and put on a great performance, that kept them coming back. Couldn't find his older stuff, but his new stuff is very popular around the world. This particular video is reminiscient of his older style. If you look hard enough you might spot a younger Fally Ipupa.

4. African Queen - 2Face Idibia African Queen has got to be the most downloaded song by an African artist on Myspace, Itunes, CD baby, and Calabash Music (to name a few). It celebrates African beauty and has a feel-good sound about it. Besides, he's right....we are all African Queens or know one we can celebrate!

3. Pata Pata - Miriam Makeba
Pata Pata is one of Miriam Makeba's most famous songs. It is also called the click song because she clicks in her vernacular as she sings the song. I don't think it will ever go out of style. There are many different video versions with her singing the song, but I like the original one. It still has the ability to make you want to sing.

2. Malaika - From Tanzania (later made famous by Miriam Makeba)
This song is surrounded by a lot of controversy due to copyright issues.this song was originally written by Adam Salim from Tanzania. Authorship of the song is usually credited to Kenyan musician Fadhili William, but this is disputed; in any case, William was the first to record the song, together with his band the Jambo Boys, in 1960.
It was later re-recorded at Equator Sound Studios by the British-born Kenyan music promoter Charles Worrod, who marketed the ballad to eventually becoming an internationally acclaimed song. The song went on to be popularised by international artists such as The Brothers Four, Helmut Lotti, Hep Stars, Rocco Granata, Miriam Makeba, Harry Belafonte, Pete Seeger, Boney M, Usha Uthup and Angélique Kidjo. The lyrics to the song differ slightly from version to version; the title itself is subject to variation, e.g. to Ewe Malaika or My Angel.

1. Yeke Yeke - Mory Kante
This has got to be THE most recognized song in the entire world! I don't think I have met anyone who has not heard it, from Turkey to France, Nigeria to South Africa, Tunisia to Kenya, this song is well-loved. There have been several remixes but, in my mind, the original is still the best!