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"Wavin' Flag"
Single by K'naan
from the album Troubadour
Released	March 2009 (download) August 2009 (single)
Format	Digital download
Length	3:41
Label	A&M/Octone
Writer(s)	K'naan
Producer	Kerry Brothers, Jr., Bruno Mars
K'naan singles chronology
"If Rap Gets Jealous" (2009) "Wavin' Flag'" (2009)

"Wavin' Flag" is the third official single (eighth single overall) by Somali Canadian musician K'naan from his album Troubadour, which was produced by Kerry Brothers, Jr. (co-produced by Bruno Mars).^[1] The song was once performed acoustically live on Q TV ^[2] by K'naan and his band to give viewers a preview of Troubadour prior to its release. The song appears on the soundtrack for the video game NBA 2K10. Under the title "Wavin' Flag (The Celebration Mix)", it has also been chosen as the official song of Coca-Cola for their 2010 FIFA World Cup program.^[3] There was also Spanish version made of "Wavin' Flag (The Celebration Mix)" (under the title "Wavin' Flag (Coca Cola Spanish Celebration Mix)"), which features singer David Bisbal.

Charity single version

In early 2010, the song was remade by a supergroup of Canadian artists, credited as Young Artists for Haiti, as a charity single to benefit relief efforts following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.^[4]

The charity single was spearheaded by producer Bob Ezrin and was reworked to include specific lyrics for Haiti (including a rap solo by Drake) and was released on March 12, 2010^[5] with proceeds going to Free the Children, War Child Canada and World Vision Canada. Participating artists included K'naan, Avril Lavigne, Nelly Furtado, Nikki Yanofsky, Deryck Whibley, Jay Malinowski, Emily Haines, James Shaw, Pat Kordyback of Stereos, Fefe Dobson, Drake, Justin Bieber, Jully Black, Kardinal Offishall, Lights, Hawksley Workman, Pierre Bouvier, Jacob Hoggard, Tyler Connolly, Sam Roberts, Josh Ramsay, and Pierre Lapointe. Students from Vancouver high schools Lord Byng Secondary and Magee Secondary also voluntarily participated by playing together as an orchestra.^[6] A music video was shot for the charity single at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver.

Music video

A music video was shot for "Wavin' Flag (The Celebration Mix)", which includes a guest appearance by Damian Marley.^[7] Another music video was shot for "Wavin' Flag (Coca Cola Spanish Celebration Mix)".^[8]

Chart performance

"Wavin' Flag" was made available for digital download in the United States in March 2009 before it was released as a single. It managed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 at #99, making it K'naan's first and only song to do so. It debuted at #82 on the Canadian Hot 100 and has currently peaked at #2, making it his most successful single to date. After he performed the song at the Canada for Haiti telethon on January 22, 2010, the song climbed to #1 on the iTunes chart in Canada.

References