It’s closing (ceremony) time for Carlos Santana at this year’s World Cup…
The 66-year-old Mexican American musician and guitar legend has joined forces with Swedish electro DJ Avicii, Brazilian Latin Grammy winner Alexandre Pires and Haitian-American rapper Wycleff for a special World Cup performance.
Santana and the other artists have been picked by FIFA, the World Cup’s governing body, to perform “Dar um Jeito (We Will Find A Way),” the closing anthem for this year’s international soccer tournament, the world’s most-watched live televised event.
The track comes from the pen of two-time Grammy-nominee Ash Pournouri.
“In Portuguese Dar Um Jeito means to find a way around obstacles and impossibilities,” said Pournouri. “With this track, we wanted to send a message of optimism and opportunity with the music and the words.”
Santana, Avicii, Pires and Wycleff will perform the song live at the World Cup closing ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on July 13.
The closing anthem is just part of the World Cup’s growing musical accompaniment and will form part of the official 2014 World Cup Album alongside the official World Cup song, which Pitbull debuted for an audience at SXSW earlier this month.
The Miami-based rap superstar will perform the official song, “We Are One,” in Brazil together with Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte.
“FIFA and Sony have been working hard in developing an album that brings the sounds of Brazil to life through a variety of creative tracks,” said FIFA’s Marketing Director Thierry Weil. “Santana, Wyclef, Avicii and Alexandre Pires are true musical icons and I am thrilled they will be part of the 2014 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony.”
“It is an honor to take part in the 2014 FIFA World Cup,” added Santana. “Along with my brothers, Wyclef, Avicii and Alexandre Pires, we look forward to performing the song in Rio de Janeiro in July and sharing this message of light and hope on the FIFA World Cup stage.”
Other tracks to be included on the 2014 World Cup album are “Vida” from American songwriter Elijah King, the winner of FIFA’s online SuperSong competition, which will be recorded by Ricky Martin, and the official mascot song, which Brazilian singer Arlindo Cruz first released in 2012.
