(The latter cover, with a just-as-silly video starring "Weird Al" Yankovic, was the band's first single to top Billboard's Alternative Songs chart in more than a decade. 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. He writes that he was inspired by the online resurgence of interest in the song, spurred on by benevolent Twitter bots, a Reddit page dedicated to the song, and unexpected covers from pop artists spanning from Pitbull to the rascals in Weezer. Los kilmetros de arena del desierto de Namibia, en frica, son los afortunados en tener que escuchar una y otra vez el hit de todos los tiempos de la banda Toto: frica. Six speakers are placed atop individual plinths and attached to an MP3 player that contains only the song the entire thing is powered by solar energy with the promise that it will run "for all eternity." Namibian-German artist Max Siedentopf installed Toto Forever late last December while back home with his family in Namibia. Perhaps it has finally reached its logical conclusion with one multimedia artist's new sound installation, which plays the 1982 smash on loop until the end of time deep in the, er, coastal Namib desert. It appears we now know where this huge surplus in streams for “Africa” is coming from.Ĭlick here for more info on Siedentopf’s installation.The Record Weezer Covers Toto's 'Africa,' Taking Us Deep Into The Internet's Heart Of Beigeness Toto - Africa - Toto - Africa Toto - Africa (metal cover by Leo Moracchioli feat. The song was written by band members David. It was released as a single in the US through Columbia Records in October 1982, the album's third single overall and second in Europe. The band’s next highest streamed song is “Hold The Line” at 259,338,045 plays. 'Africa' is a song by American rock band Toto, the tenth and final track on their fourth studio album Toto IV (1982). Six speakers surround the device, projecting the music outwards. () On top of the tallest box sits an MP3 player, which holds just one song. Max Siedentopf – Toto Forever Art InstallationĪccording to TOTO’s artist page on Spotify, “Africa” has been streamed a whopping total of 820,966,460 times. 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. A Namibian artist named Max Siedentopf has assembled a sound installation in the Namib Desert of Africa. “The Namibian desert–which is, with 55 million years, the oldest desert in the world–seemed to be the perfect spot for this.”Ĭheck out the audio installation in action under the hot African sun via the video below. 'Africa' by Toto Will Play 'for All Eternity' in the Namib Desert Thanks to Namibian Artist. “I was very intrigued by this and wanted to pay the song the ultimate homage and physically exhibit ‘Africa’ in Africa,” Siedentopf told the media outlet. Related: Toto Welcomes Snarky Puppy Horns For “Rosanna” At Finland’s Pori Jazz Festival Īs per NPR‘s report, Siedentopf was inspired by the recent resurgence of interest in the song through pop culture and online communities. TOTO’s Africa Is Playing On Repeat In Africa’s Namib Desert Video TOTO ‘s 1982 hit Africa has been a go-to favorite at karaoke parties for years, but imagine hearing the song. Toto's 'Africa' will play on loop in a Namibian desert for eternity after German-Namibian artist Max Siedentopf set up a sound installation, called 'Toto Forever' in an undisclosed location in the. Toto Forever was set up last December when Siedentopf was home visiting family in the region, and the song has been playing on repeat ever since. The music is played out of six speakers which have been placed on top individual plinths and all pointing outward in a different direction. The installation fittingly named, Toto Forever, runs on solar energy, thus self-sustaining its ability to continue playing the song for as long as the sun is shining on planet earth. That’s just what is happening in the middle of Africa’s Namib Desert, where an audio-based installation from Namibian-German artist Max Siedentopf plays “Africa” on repeat by way of an MP3 player over, and over, and over. Paying tribute to Toto‘s soft-rock chef d’uvre and its atemporal qualities, Africa, German-Namibian artist Max Siedentopf travelled 31,274 square miles into the Namib Desert to set up his. TOTO‘s 1982 hit “Africa” has been a go-to favorite at karaoke parties for years, but imagine hearing the song on repeat, forever.