CANADA'S ARCADE FIRE HITS ON OBAMA'S CAMPAIGN PLAYLIST. (HOPE HE GOT PERMISSION)

President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign playlist, otherwise known as the music that will set the tone for his upcoming rallies and other campaign-related appearances, was revealed on Facebook Thursday morning, and the rundown is filled with a surprising mix of old and new hits that hint at hope and the promise of staying together. Arcade fire was on that list and as I said earlier, most musicians lean to the left. You remember I blogged about Knaan upset about Mitt Romney using his music without permission.

K'NAAN IS IN SOMALIA TODAY VISITING REFUGEES IN AN EMERGENCY ATTEMPT.

My friend Rapper K'naan today brought his waving flag back home to Somalia to help people as they struggle with a devastating famine that has killed tens of thousands of children.The rapper, who left Somalia as a child more than two decades ago to settle in Canada, made a brief visit to Mogadishu.

He was mobbed by famine refugees who tried to shake his hand or hug him as he toured Mogadishu's Banadir Hospital and met with malnourished children."I came to Somalia to see the situation here and give any donation I have to the people and anything else available," he said, speaking in Somali. "I will do all I can to help my people in Somalia." Read the rest here.

SFTC: K'NAAN KICKS OFF WORLD CUP CONCERT WITH SHAKIRA.

Could this be the first concert ever decided by penalty kicks?

K’naan - the pride of Canada whose song Wavin’ Flag has become the anthem for the World Cup of soccer - Shakira, the Black Eyed Peas and Alicia Keys are some of the artists scheduled to appear in the FIFA World Cup Kickoff Celebration Concert, Thursday from South Africa.

The concert will air live across Canada on TLN (Telelatino), which is the official multilingual broadcaster for the tournament. It’s an evening concert in South Africa, which means early afternoon or late morning in Canada, depending on where you live.

The concert will repeat later Thursday on TLN, and on Friday as well.

The three-hour event takes place at the newly renovated Orlando Stadium in Soweto/Johannesburg.

World Cup games begin Friday on CBC and TLN.

SHAKIRA'S WORLD CUP ANTHEM BOMBS WHILE KNAAN'S IS DA BOMB!

Pop star Shakira's official World Cup anthem "Waka Waka" has received an unofficial "No, no" from South Africans.

The song, which is a collaboration with South African band Freshlyground, was released to radio stations last week but has not hit the right note with soccer fans in the host country.

"It's horrible," local fan Lindi Munonde said. "I'm not standing for it. I mean what is our president doing about it?"

"Waka Waka — Time for Africa" takes its inspiration from Cameroonian music, but South Africans aren't convinced Colombian singer Shakira is the right person to represent Africa's first World Cup.

"Really, I mean, how is Shakira going to sing the African part of it?" said Nomaswazi Thomo, another local fan from Johannesburg.

The "Whenever, Wherever" star is to travel to South Africa to sing the new anthem, alongside Freshlyground, before the July 11 World Cup final at the 94,000-seat Soccer City stadium near Soweto.

The 33-year-old Shakira is one of a string of international artists also performing at FIFA's June 10 Kickoff concert to mark the start of the tournament.

The Kickoff lineup, which includes American artists Alicia Keys and Black Eyed Peas, was criticized in South Africa, where locals felt their own musicians had been sidelined. World Cup organizers have now agreed to add more local artists.

Radio stations in South Africa say there has also been a strong reaction to the Waka Waka song.

"I love it that South Africans are just coming together as South Africans and saying, 'We've got our own people and it's an African World Cup. It's ours,'" 702 Talk Radio presenter Jenny Cryws-Williams said. "We are going to put on a fantastic World Cup. Why don't we have South Africans doing it for us?"

Toronto rapper K’Naan's "Waving Flag" has been adopted as Coke’s officially licensed anthem for the World Cup. Sounds like KJ is right on that one. Some Shakira's hits ain't that so hot afterall. LOL!