33 years ago, the “Coming to America” movie worked as both an affectionate satire of late-80s Black culture and a valentine to the African diaspora. Its cartoonish-but-aspirational nation of Zamunda gave audiences a regal Africa that Hollywood had rarely, if ever shown, one that continued to reverberate across everything from Beyonce’s extended music films to the fictional utopia of Wakanda.
Three decades later, its characters – Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall – are returning to Zamunda in a long-awaited sequel, “Coming 2 America,” out today (March 5) on Amazon Amazon Prime Video.
The follow-up, directed by Craig Brewer, finds an older Akeem reckoning with a grown daughter (KiKi Layne) who wants her own opportunity to rule the kingdom, but there is one dynastic problem: Zamunda law dictates that the heir to the throne must be a son. Murphy rushes back to New York with Semmi after learning that he fathered a son (Jermaine Fowler) there on his original visit. Murphy and Hall reprise several of their supporting characters, joined by Coming to America alumni James Earl Jones, Shari Headley and John Amos, as well as franchise newcomers like Wesley Snipes, Tracy Morgan and Leslie Jones.
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To the uninitiated, Coming 2 America, by contrast, practically demands encyclopedic recall of the original; it exists mainly as a vessel to reunite characters and redo classic bits from the first Coming to America (which is also currently and conveniently available on Amazon Prime Video). That’s kind of the key to the new film’s rickety charm, even if that also means it’s doomed to live forever in the shadow of its mega-successful original.
The movie is accompanied by Def Jam Africa’s “Rhythms of Zamunda: Music Inspired By Coming 2 America” album, which among other stars of note, features highflying Zimbabwean BET Award-winning songbird Sha Sha. She appears on South Africa singer, songwriter and record producer Tellaman’s single “Overdue” alongside Nigerian breakthrough artist Oxlade.
Other African artists who contributed to Rhythms of Zamunda are Nasty C, Diamond Platnumz, Fally Ipupa, Tekno, De Mthuda & Njelic, Prince Kaybee and Tiwa Savage.
The soundtrack is streaming on Amazon Music, Spotify, and Apple Music.
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Sha Sha, who recently won accolades internationally such the BET Award for new international act and recently in Zimbabwe the PPC Zimbabwe Music Awards for best International Zim artist, is also nominated for the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs) in the Listener’s Choice Category and the Star FM Listeners Choice Awards 2021 for Best Female, Best Amapiano and best Zimbabwean Artist in the Diaspora.
