He said he won’t reveal exact the location of the work, adding that it is “like a treasure that only the most loyal of Toto fans can find.”Ĭopyright 2019 The Associated Press. When asked whether his work was making fun of the tendency of non-Africans to exoticize the continent, Siedentopf said there was a lot to say about Western stereotypes, but “putting (that) aside, the installation is supposed to look more at the lighter side of things and everyone should be able to enjoy it.” “Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti,” but Africa’s highest peak can’t be seen from the Serengeti. Six speakers surround the device, projecting the music outwards.
() On top of the tallest box sits an MP3 player, which holds just one song. The song - which was written by Toto’s late drummer, Jeff Porcaro, and keyboard player David Paich - has occasionally been mocked for its lack of local knowledge: One of the lyrics claims PHOTO: Artist Max Siedentopfs project Toto Forever aimed to play the 1982 classic song Africa on an eternal loop in a secret location in a Namibian desert. “I was very intrigued by this and wanted to pay the song the ultimate homage and physically exhibit ‘Africa’ in Africa.” “Even though ‘Africa’ by Toto was released 1982 it is still very much present in today’s pop culture and frequently used for memes and even entire Reddit pages are dedicated to the song,” Siedentopf, who is based in London, said.
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In recent years, rock band Weezer made a cover of it a sample of the song is featured in the movie “Aquaman” it has a dedicated Twitter bot, which has been spitting out lyrics every couple of hours since 2016 and its melody, “I bless the rains down in Africa,” is frequently belted out by revelers at parties and weddings across the world. The song has been a pop-culture phenomenon since its release in 1982, topping the US Billboard chart and selling more than 4 million copies in the US alone. Siedentopf is using solar batteries to power the entire installation, which consists of plinths supporting six speakers attached to a single MP3 player that contains one track: Toto’s “Africa.” “Hopefully the song will play just as long,” he added. Oh, and the installation runs on solar power so, technically, the song will continue playing for all eternity, hence Max’s apt title for the piece, Toto Forever. A 27-year-old artist in Namibia has set up a sound installation in an undisclosed location in the Namib Desert that is playing an endless loop of Africa, to keep Toto going for all. The desert, on the west coast of Southern Africa, is around 55 million years old - making it the world’s oldest desert and the “perfect spot” for his work, Siedentopf, 27, told CNN in an email. Paying tribute to Toto was, of course, a definite must and it was a surreal experience sitting in the middle of nowhere listening to Africa for many hours on repeat. ‘A ridiculous gesture’: Ai Weiwei slams Trump’s border wall, reconsiders US move The meme that is Africa by Toto has been raging across the internet for years, and now it will literally never. German-Namibian artist Max Siedentopf has set up the sound installation, called “Toto Forever,” in an undisclosed location in the 1,200 mile-long Namib Desert. Africa The solar-powered display will keep the 1983 hit playing in the Namib Desert. Head to Max’s website to see a map of where you find the installation for yourself.Toto’s “Africa” has come home, so to speak, thanks to an installation by an artist who plans to play the song on loop in a Namibian desert - for eternity. Oh, and the installation runs on solar power so, technically, the song will continue playing for all eternity, hence Max’s apt title for the piece, Toto Forever. “Paying tribute to Toto was, of course, a definite must and it was a surreal experience sitting in the middle of nowhere listening to Africa for many hours on repeat.” “Namibia is probably one of the most beautiful countries to grow up in, however, there’s not a lot going on art wise so every time I come home I try to do a project which is inspired by the surroundings,” Max tells us of the inspiration for the project. Africa by Toto Will Play for All Eternity in the Namib Desert Thanks to Namibian Artist this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. The oldest desert in the world is now home to six plinths, each holding a speaker connected to an MP3 player which pays tribute to “the most popular song of the last four decades”: Toto’s, Africa. In his latest his work, Max has installed a speaker system in the Namib desert in his home country of Namibia. Toto's 'Africa' has come home, so to speak, thanks to an installation by an artist who plans to play the song on loop in a Namibian desert - for eternity.
Ever wanted to listen to Toto’s Africa on never-ending repeat? Well, designer and artist Max Siedentopf has got your back.