"Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)" is a song by Jorge Ben Jor from his 1976 album África Brasil. It was later recorded by Ambitious Lovers and Soulfly. The song is about an African striker, Ben Jor's "Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)" became a well known football-related track.[1][2] It has been described as "[possibly] one of the best songs about sports ever written",[3] and prompted one writer to state that "Jorge Ben should be considered the poet laureate of soccer songwriting".[4]
"Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)" | |
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Song by Jorge Ben Jor | |
from the album África Brasil | |
Language | Portuguese |
Released | 1976 (1976) |
Genre | Samba funk |
Songwriter(s) | Jorge Ben Jor |
It was included on David Byrne's 1989 compilation Brazil Classics Beleza Tropical, prompting rotation of a video for the track on VH-1.[5][6] The original version of the track was used in the documentary film Di/Glauber.[7]
It was released as a single in 1989 by EMI Records, backed with another track from the Beleza Tropical album, Nazaré Pereira's "Maculele".
In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked it number 351 in their updated list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[8]
"Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)" | |
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Single by Ambitious Lovers | |
from the album Lust | |
Released | 1991 (1991) |
Label | Elektra |
Songwriter(s) | Jorge Ben Jor |
Ambitious Lovers recorded a cover of the song for their Lust album. A 12-inch single of remixes of the track (listed on the label as simply "Umbabarauma") by Charley Casanova and Goh Hotodain was released by Elektra Records in 1990, which became a dance hit, peaking at no. 10 on the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart.[9]
"Umbabarauma" | ||||
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Single by Soulfly featuring Los Hooligans | ||||
from the album Soulfly | ||||
Released | 5 May 1998 | |||
Recorded | 1997–1998 | |||
Genre | Nu metal | |||
Length | 4:46 | |||
Label | Roadrunner | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Ross Robinson | |||
Soulfly singles chronology | ||||
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Metal band Soulfly recorded a cover version of the song, as "Umbabarauma", released as the band's second single in 1998, taken from the debut album Soulfly.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Umbabarauma" (LP Mix) | 4:13 |
2. | "Umbabarauma" (World Cup Mix) | 3:45 |
3. | "Tribe" (Extended Version) | 5:54 |
4. | "Umbabarauma" (World Cup Mix – Instrumental) | 3:38 |
Total length: | 17:30 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Umbabarauma" |
Chart (1998) | Peak position |
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UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 83 |
Soulfly | |
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Singles |
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Notable songs | |
Related articles |
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