Tucked away in a house in the Montréal borough of Saint-Michel are two influential architects of global pop: a brother and sister born in Québec of parents from Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Fittingly, it was at their mother’s home in Montréal that the first building block was laid for the World Cup anthem performed by Shakira in a duet with Burna Boy.
“I’d just bought a new electric guitar and I wanted to give it a try. My sister and I had a SOCAN session later that morning,” says Alexander (A.C) Castillo Vasquez. In other words, they were warming up for a KENEKT camp when A.C and Vanesa came up with the guitar melody for Dai Dai. It was there, above their mother’s garage, that the two siblings laid the groundwork for what would become a global hit.
If you don’t realize it, the achievement is monumental. Dai Dai is the first official FIFA song to become a worldwide No. 1., and thanks to the song, Shakira currently (as we write these lines) holds the top spot on the following charts: Billboard Global Excl. U.S., Spotify Top Songs Global, iTunes Global, and YouTube Global.
“To my knowledge, this is the first time music creators from Québec have reached this level of success. I also think it’s a first for Canada,” says Sara Dendane, a close collaborator of the duo and a former SOCAN Creative and Partnerships Executive.
Colombia may not have made it to the soccer World Cup final, but with A.C, Vanesa, and Shakira, it won the gold medal of our musical hearts.
Dai Dai—Shakira (featuring Burna Boy)
Written by*: Alexander (A.C) Castillo Vasquez, Vanesa Castillo Vasquez (VNSA), Benny Adam
Published by*: 14e / Coyote Records / St. Laurent TV / Joy Ride Records
*Only SOCAN members are listed