There is a popular philosophical question which goes, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Now we have to take that question and make a new one which goes, “If Toto’s ‘Africa’ is playing the desert and no one is around, does it make a sound?”
This is because artist max Siedentopf has decided to put up a sound installation in the Namib Desert where it will continuously and perpetually play Toto’s “Africa”, thanks to the use of a solar system that will keep the sound installation continuously powered until the end of time, or at least until the sound installation breaks down.
Speaking to the BBC, Siedentopf said, “[I] wanted to pay the song the ultimate homage and physically exhibit ‘Africa’ in Africa. Some [Namibians] love it and some say it’s probably the worst sound installation ever. I think that’s a great compliment.” Unfortunately for those who plan to check it out, getting there will prove to be rather tricky.
Siedentopf told NPR that while he has provided fans with a map on how to get there, he likened it to a treasure maps of sorts, where only the most loyal of Toto fans will be able to find it. It is an extremely novel idea, but the idea of a song being endlessly played in the middle of nowhere does tickle our fancy.