Three nationalities, three various musical styles, and three artists unite for an infectious official Fifa World Cup 2022 song “Tukoh Taka.” The best of Columbia, Lebanon, and the US broke musical barriers with this song.
Nicki Minaj‘s ability to adapt to different musical settings, and sounds and work with new artists is impeccable. She continues to impress by blending in with any sound. Tukoh Taka seems to be a complex song to rap on, but Nicki delivered like the queen she is.
Myriam Fares and Nicki Minaj begin the track with joint singing,
“Tengo tukoh, tukoh taka, tukoh tuh, ta-ta
Tukoh tuh, ta-ta, tukoh tuh, ta-ta
Tukoh, tukoh taka, tukoh tuh, ta-ta”
As the chorus nears its end, Nicki’s verse begins. She introduces herself as Trinidadian, which is befitting considering the heavily packed countries the World Cup entails. She says,
“Me, soy Trini
Everyting di man have, dat a fi mi”
Nicki, forever the linguist switches up to another language on the next lines.
“¿Dónde está el dinero? Papi, gimme
Pretty face, ugly gyal can’t see me”
My favorite transition and part of the verse is when she says,
“Yo, mira, mira, mira (Yeh)
Con mi copa amiga (Pah)”
The high-pitched tone on this part is enjoyable. She continues to deliver her bars,
“Loca, loca la vida (Sí)
Yo soy muy rica (Wuh)
Papеl o plástica (Sah)”
In the first line, Nicki interpolates Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ la Vida Loca” as he once compiled a song for the Fifa World Cup in 1998. Nicki Minaj is an exceptional delivery and glues the song somehow.
Maluma and Myriam Fares jump in with their joint singing on the chorus, this time. Maluma shares his verse as well,
“Cuerpito 60-90 (Ah, ah)
Ella es gol al minuto 90 (What?; 90)
No lo alquila ni lo pone en venta (Ah, ah)”
Here Maluma delivers an interesting stack of entendre. He is saying that in Latina culture, females ideally possess a body of 60-90cm. 60cm representing the waistline, and 90cm for the bust. But he switches it up with a football/soccer reference, by relating it to the total amount it takes for a goal to be scored-90 minutes.
Maluma brought a fresh style to his verse, and the consistent use of his native language is a beautiful addition to the song.
This time, Myriam sings alone in the chorus, making it obvious her verse follows next. She starts with an engaging approach,
“Khalina kelna nghani
W nebni hwalayna jani
W el alam kelo yhani
W el sot yehla w yaala”
Myriam calls to everyone to join in and sing with her. She says to set up a haven for everyone to celebrate and be happy. I love when Myriam switches to a peaceful and happy theme till the end of her verse.
“Salam (Wait, wait, wait), essmaa
Salam, salam, salam, salam
Salam, alaykom
Khalo farha bidaykom
Abshiro bel kheir yijikom, yi-yi
Salam, alaykom
FIFA el hob tehdikom
W yharek amalikom, yi-yi (Mondial)”
“Tukoh Taka” is a joyous song, that unites all nations in celebration of the games ahead of the Fifa World Cup. It offers high energy from Spanish, Arabic, and English artists.