Zenga Zenga
Encyclopedia
Zenga Zenga is an auto-tuned
song and viral
YouTube
video that parodied the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
. The song, released on February 22, 2011, quickly became popular among the Libyan opposition
active in the 2011 Libyan civil war
.
The song was created by Noy Alooshe
, an Israeli journalist and musician. The original video has more than 4 million views and the edited "clean" version has surpassed 1 million hits.
On February 22, 2011, Gaddafi gave a televised speech amidst violent social unrest against his government. In the speech (said in Arabic
), Gaddafi vowed to hunt down protesters "inch by inch, room by room, home by home, alleyway by alleyway [zenga zenga]."
An Israeli journalist and musician, Noy Alooshe, was watching the speech and saw Gaddafi's strange dress and gesticulations as something out of a trance
party. Using the natural beat of Gaddafi's words, Alooshe spent a few hours at his computer and using Auto-Tune
technology set the speech to the music of "Hey Baby
," a song by American rapper Pitbull
featuring another American rap artist, T-Pain
. The original video features clips from Gaddafi's speech alongside mirror images of a scantily clad woman dancing.
Alooshe titled the new song "Zenga Zenga," based on Gaddafi's repetition in his speech of the word zanqa, Arabic for alley
way in the Libyan dialect. American comedian Conan O'Brien
ostensibly first popularized the transformation of zanqa into "zenga zenga" and Alooshe named the clip accordingly. By early Wednesday morning in Israel
, Alooshe had uploaded the "electro hip hop remix" to YouTube. By Sunday night, through promotion on Twitter
and Facebook
, the video had gone viral
, receiving nearly 500,000 hits.
However, Gaddafi and his loyalist supporters apparently co-opted the song for their own purposes. As reported by The Guardian
, at a speech given by Gaddafi's daughter, Ayesha Gaddafi, "Zenga Zenga" blared in the background.
The original video has more than 4 million views on YouTube. The edited version without the girl has over 1 million hits.
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...
song and viral
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video that parodied the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
. The song, released on February 22, 2011, quickly became popular among the Libyan opposition
Anti-Gaddafi forces
The anti-Gaddafi forces were Libyan groups that opposed and militarily defeated the government of Muammar Gaddafi, killing him in the process. These opposition forces included organised and armed militia groups, participants in the 2011 Libyan civil war, Libyan diplomats who switched their...
active in the 2011 Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
.
The song was created by Noy Alooshe
Noy Alooshe
Noy Alooshe is a 31 year-old "Israeli journalist, musician and Internet buff" of Tunisian Jewish descent best known outside Israel for his Zenga Zenga-spoof song on Muammar Gaddafi...
, an Israeli journalist and musician. The original video has more than 4 million views and the edited "clean" version has surpassed 1 million hits.
Background
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
), Gaddafi vowed to hunt down protesters "inch by inch, room by room, home by home, alleyway by alleyway [zenga zenga]."
An Israeli journalist and musician, Noy Alooshe, was watching the speech and saw Gaddafi's strange dress and gesticulations as something out of a trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
party. Using the natural beat of Gaddafi's words, Alooshe spent a few hours at his computer and using Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...
technology set the speech to the music of "Hey Baby
Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor)
"Hey Baby " is a song by American rapper Pitbull featuring T-Pain. It was released on September 14, 2010 as the lead single from Pitbull's sixth studio album Planet Pit. The song was written by Pitbull, T-Pain, and Sandy Vee, and it was produced by Sandy Vee...
," a song by American rapper Pitbull
Pitbull (rapper)
Armando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...
featuring another American rap artist, T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
. The original video features clips from Gaddafi's speech alongside mirror images of a scantily clad woman dancing.
Alooshe titled the new song "Zenga Zenga," based on Gaddafi's repetition in his speech of the word zanqa, Arabic for alley
Alley
An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane found in urban areas, often for pedestrians only, which usually runs between or behind buildings. In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or a right of way or ancient footpath in an urban setting...
way in the Libyan dialect. American comedian Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
ostensibly first popularized the transformation of zanqa into "zenga zenga" and Alooshe named the clip accordingly. By early Wednesday morning in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Alooshe had uploaded the "electro hip hop remix" to YouTube. By Sunday night, through promotion on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, the video had gone viral
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
, receiving nearly 500,000 hits.
Reception
Reactions were largely positive, presumably from members of the Libyan opposition who embraced it for its mockery of Gaddafi. Some also found the video distasteful, not only for its vulgarity, but because the creator of the video, Alooshe, is an Israeli Jew. At the request of web users who wanted to be able to share the video with their more conservative parents, Alooshe created another version without the clips of the nearly nude dancer.However, Gaddafi and his loyalist supporters apparently co-opted the song for their own purposes. As reported by The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, at a speech given by Gaddafi's daughter, Ayesha Gaddafi, "Zenga Zenga" blared in the background.
The original video has more than 4 million views on YouTube. The edited version without the girl has over 1 million hits.