King Africa
King África is an Argentine musical project that fused elements of murga, dancehall and hip hop with a Latin tropicpop style. It was created in 1992 in Buenos Aires by Dero, Tuti Gianakis and the brothers Alejandro and Nicolás Guerrieri for their music label Oid Mortales Records. Its first soloist was the rapper Martin Laacré between 1992 and 1996. Later, Alan Duffy (DJ, singer and musician) joined the group, who leads it from 1997 to the present and is the only member, which is why he is called King Africa.
Beginnings
In 1993 they released their first album: "El Africano", which achieved gold status in Argentina, it included the song "Salta", the band's first great success., in 1994 they released the second production 'Al Palo', both long-playing songs had Martin Laacré as soloist, who gave the group the ragga rap style. Then in 1995 and after achieving great success not only in Argentina, but in much of Latin America, they triumphantly performed at the Viña del Mar Festival. In that same year, the album Remix was released, a compilation of remixes of their most popular songs. well-known that also includes a new version of the song "La Niña del Pañuelo Colorado" next to Los del Río. In 1996 and due to differences between the producers and the vocalist, Laacré left the band.
Alan Duffy's arrival
Alan Duffy, who to this day remains the group's soloist, was already working as a singer for the Oid Mortales record label, making several recordings. The producers decided to call him to lead the group King Africa, and, maintaining the style and intonation of Martin Laacré, they took this project together with Alan Duffy to a much more international level. As an anecdote, in their musical beginnings, they were rockers and for a time they played in a rock band.
The first album recorded by Alan Duffy as a new vocalist was titled Animal in 1997, it was a success throughout Latin America. Between 1997 and 1998 he made numerous presentations throughout the Latin American continent. In 1998 he traveled to Europe to present his album in Spain. He had a great impact at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival where his hit El Camaleón was chosen as the number one song of said carnival.
During 1999, King África began its tour of Spain and Latin America. The efforts made to impose the artist on the international stage bore fruit at the beginning of the new millennium with the song La Bomba, a cover version by the Bolivian band Azul Azul. Also from his European record release: Greatest Éxitos. Thanks to this, King África placed itself in first place in the Spanish Top 40, opening the doors to the European mass market. Much of Europe echoed this impact, beginning a tour with more than 150 concerts in Spain and Portugal, in addition to France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Romania and Holland. His album Grandes Éxitos became a gold record in Spain, Portugal and Belgium in a very short time. He also made important television presentations such as Tops of the Pop (France and Germany), Carramba Che Fortuna! (RAI, Italy), Surprise, Surprise (TV Romania) among others.
2000s
At the beginning of 2001, King África launched: Carnavalito EP (a preview of his album: Pachanga), a single CD with four songs in which he is included El Humahuaqueño, selling thousands of copies. In mid-April of that same year, his new work was released: Pachanga, which includes songs such as Comadre Compadre, El Humahuaqueño and Salta (remix 2001), this last song is used for the advertising spot for Pringles potato chips with worldwide repercussion. Upon its launch in Latin America, Pachanga was released in Puerto Rico and the United States with a special remix: El Humahuaqueño (reggaeton mix), quickly reaching those countries and in Spain the gold record.
In this same year, Billboard magazine nominated King África as “Album of the Year” and “Best New Pop Artist” for the Billboard Latin Awards, because Pachanga i> is in the list of the 10 best-selling albums. Also in 2001, he was invited to participate in front of 200,000 people at the “Son Latinos” concert that took place on Las Vistas Beach in Tenerife. His tour extended through Canada and the United States, where he was invited to participate in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic World election that took place at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. The event was broadcast live on television, King África kicked it off to the sound of La Bomba along with the 74 participants who acted as dancers, and closed the event with three more songs.
In 2002 the group released: Energía, an album that includes songs like: Mete Mete and Vitorino, the latter recorded with the duo Los del Río. This same year he received the French gold record for surpassing sales of more than 250,000 copies of the CD-single: La Bomba (remixes). In 2003 the album was released: Buena Onda which includes songs such as: Tesouro de Pirata (Onda Onda) and Manteca, both covers of Brazilian songs. In July of this same year he traveled to Japan to support his album King África – Grandes Éxitos, released in that year, with several radio and television presentations in the cities of Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, and Tokyo. country, and because his version of the song La Bomba is among the three most listened to songs on the Japanese radio charts, he performs several concerts.
In 2004, Reggaeton Mix was released, which contains songs like My grandmother, and the hit Golosa. In this same year, King África traveled to Costa Rica for the first time to give a concert. At the beginning of 2005 Duffy participated in the television program “Big Brother VIP: The Challenge” in Spain, and immediately when he left the contest they presented the album: VIP Party . King África, on this album, releases a compilation of 21 songs that have made him famous, and includes the hit Paquito El Chocolatero.
In 2006, the song Saturday Night, a classic from the 90s, was released in the compilation Caribe 2006, and in 2007 it was released on the compilation Caribe 2007 with their version of Bombón, a song that triumphed throughout Latin America.
In December 2007 Vale Music celebrated its 10th Anniversary by releasing the album: Vale Music: 10 years our way, which includes 17 hits covered by 17 of its artists. As Vale Music's oldest artist, King África is invited to participate in this great celebration by performing a cover of the O-Zone group's song Dragostea Din Tei. In May 2008, Vale Music released its album Caribe 2008 and King África contributed another new summer song called Chispum . At the beginning of June, Vale Music releases the compilation Disco Estrella 2008 that includes the song by Rodolfo Chikilicuatre and King África El Chiki Chiki, a version they performed together on Andreu's program Good source.
In May 2009, Vale Music's Dance-Latin genre compilation celebrates its 10th anniversary, and King África contributes its grain of sand to Caribbean 2009: Summer is Blue with its song Tiki and Taka. In November 2009 he recorded the song If Human Were Already at the Disney studios to give life to the character of Louis in the Disney classic Tiana and the Frog which premieres in cinemas in Spain on February 5, 2010.
2010s
In February 2011 he recorded in Valencia together with the Spanish comedian actor Fernando Esteso a new version of the song La Ramona, a song that Fernando Esteso had already popularized in 1973, and together they performed the video clip in that same city. That same year the Spanish rock group "Los Mojinos Escocios" They release the album Mená Chatruá, for this they call on 20 guest artists to record as a duo this album compiled with their best hits, among them is King África who records with Miguel " El Sevilla', vocalist of said band, a version of the song titled The Summer Song, a fun reggae-rock.
In February 2012, the record label Goal Songs, with a production by Quique Tejada, Isaac Luque and Miguel Vilchez, recorded with King África in Barcelona for the first time singing in African, the song titled Oh Benuno, an African spiritual song from the XVII century transformed into a Tribal Dance hit. In May 2012 Oh Benuno (EP) goes on sale in digital format, and on June 5, the Universal Music Spain record label includes King África's new song in its most successful summer compilation in Spain, the Caribbean 2012.
In 2015 King África joined forces with DKB to record a new single that was presented on June 1 of the same year by the Sony Music Spain record label on iTunes and Spotify, and simultaneously VEVO presented the video clip of the song DKB feat. King Africa titled The Crocodile . In less than 48 hours the video clip receives more than 50,000 views and the song El Cocodrilo is already considered by the Spanish press as the Song of the Summer 2015 .
In 2017 King Africa celebrates its 25th Anniversary in a big way, Alan Duffy prepares a great tour through Spain and all of Europe, and also presents a new song that promises to be the Song of the Summer once again. In April 2017, and celebrating the 25th Anniversary, he joined forces again with DKB to record a new single together, once the recording was finished they traveled to Cuba for the great Cuban producer Dj. Unique of the special touch of him to the base of the new song. Taking advantage of the visit, they decided to record the video clip in Havana (Cuba), and on May 29 of the same year it was presented by the Universal Music Spain record label on their album Caribe 2017 , and it was also presented at the digital platforms iTunes and Spotify, and simultaneously also present the video clip on VEVO of the song:DKB & King Africa feat. DJ. Unic : El Tembleque .
2020s
In February 2022, King Africa, celebrating its 30th Anniversary, enters the Listen 2 Fell studio with the great Cuban artists Class A (singer and composer), and Raudel Raul (actor, dancer, and singer), to record a new song titled La Colita, with the production of Dr.López (Cuban producer). On June 10 of the same year, they presented the song on all digital platforms, and simultaneously the video clip on YouTube.