Africa has long been a source of fascination, both good and bad, for the Western world, especially the U.S. I don’t think anyone needs a history lesson. And yet, Africa holds a romanticized place in our public imagination and inspires much of our popular culture. Some might call this appropriation; some might call it appreciation. Yet understanding Americans’ obsession with Africa requires a close look at some of Africa’s biggest pop culture moments.
“I Bless the Rains”: Toto’s Tribute to Africa:
While many people thought Toto’s infectious song was using Africa as a metaphor for a woman, the songwriter, David Paich, has said the song’s meaning is two-fold: firstly, he was moved by the sad images he saw on TV about Africa. Like many Americans, Paich saw late-night news and documentaries showing the suffering of people in Africa, often not distinguishing between nations or ethnic groups. The glossing over of vast cultural, historical, and political differences has led to the misconception of Africa as a unified entity, even a country. Indeed, Paich also says the song is about a man’s love for a continent. He’s said the lyrics tell the story of someone flying to Africa to meet a lonely missionary; this story was inspired by Paich’s Catholic upbringing, and indeed the chorus’ main lyric, “I bless the rains,” is a religious reference.
If it seems like the song was written by a white boy describing Africa as the TV and his Catholic schoolteachers described it to him, you’d be right. Drummer Jeff Porcaro, who was impressed by African drumming at the World Fair, said, “A white boy is trying to write a song on Africa, but since he’s never been there, he can only tell what he’s seen on TV or remembers in the past.” To the band’s credit, they did use actual marimbas.
The song has been the punchline of jokes in countless memes and Tumblr posts.
