The Child (Inside)

"The Child (Inside)"
Single by Qkumba Zoo
Released	1996
Genre	Dance house
Length	3:58
Label	Arista Records Mega Records
Songwriter(s)	Levannah Owl
Producer(s)	Allan Goldswain Brian O'Shey
Qkumba Zoo singles chronology
"The Child (Inside)" (1996) "I'm Scared, You're Scared {Cloud Eyes}" (1997)
Music video
"The Child (Inside)" on YouTube

"The Child (Inside)" is a 1995 debut single by South African trio Qkumba Zoo. It was released in August 1995 and shot straight to the top of the charts in South Africa, earning them the "Best New Band" award at the 1996 South African Music Awards. In 1996 it was a big hit in the United States, reaching number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart It also peaked on the Radio & Records contemporary hit radio charts at No. 34 on 10/18/96.

The 1996 release of "The Child (Inside)" featured several mixes by DJ Junior Vasquez that became the standard for the song in American clubs. In recent years, the original mix of "The Child (Inside)" has been used in several US television commercials, the most popular being from Seaworld parks and Carnival Cruise Lines.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "The Euro-NRG sound that has propelled dance music back into pop radio prominence has been in need of a little variation and development. This intriguing new act successfully accomplishes the task without tampering too much with the genre's tried-and-true formula. Typically bright and springy beats underline a contagious melody that is executed with whooping tribal chants and quirky female vocals." Music & Media noted that South African trio QKumba Zoo "have already made more impression on the U.S. market with this single than any of their compatriots have since the heady days of Clout's Substitute. Signed to Arista by Clive Davis, their sound straddles the ethnic and CHR camps in persuasive style, landing somewhere between Johnny Clegg and current European synth pop, reflecting female lead singer Levannah's upbringing in the Zulu homeland of Natal."

Music video

The music video for "The Child (Inside)" was directed by Ruven Afanador.

Track listing

CD maxi, South Africa (1995)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Child (Inside)" (Radio Zoo Mix)	3:48
2.	"The Child (Inside)" (Qcumba Dance Edit)	4:54
3.	"The Child (Inside)" (Kalahari Trance Magick Mix)	7:43
4.	"The Child (Inside)" (The Ostrich & The Eland Mix)	3:55
5.	"The Child (Inside)" (Lizards-Love-A-Hot-Rock Mix)	3:37
6.	"The Child (Inside)" (Mantis Mantra (Instrumental Mix))	4:10

CD single, Europe (1996)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Child (Inside)" (Radio Mix)	3:58
2.	"The Child (Inside)" (Berman Brothers Remix Edit)	3:58
3.	"Wake Up & Dream" (Album Snippets)	4:40

CD maxi, Scandinavia (1996)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Child (Inside)" (Radio Mix)	3:58
2.	"The Child (Inside)" (Extended Album Mix)	4:54
3.	"The Child (Inside)" (Junior's Club Mix)	8:48
4.	"The Child (Inside)" (Berman Brothers Club Mix)	6:39
5.	"The Child (Inside)" (Anthony Acid's Up-Lift Mix)	8:40

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1995-1996)	Peak position
South Africa (South Africa Singles Chart)	1
US Billboard Hot 100	69
US Billboard Dance Club Songs	1