This 20th-century classic was written by Solomon Popoli Linda (aka Solomon Ntsele) during the 1920s. Solomon Linda was to be acknowledged as a co-composer of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and to be designated as such in the future. Linda's original was written in Zulu, while the English version's lyrics were written by George David Weiss. [3], Italian immigrant Eric Gallo owned what at that time was sub-Saharan Africa's only recording studio. FELIX CONTRERAS: The song was originally called Mbube. Linda's musical popularity grew with the Evening Birds, who presented "a very cool urban act that wears pinstriped suits, bowler hats and dandy two-tone shoes". After Linda started working at the Gallo Record Company's Roodepoort plant in 1939 as a record packer, the Evening Birds were witnessed by company talent scout Griffith Motsieloa. Solomon died in … [further explanation needed] (However, at the time, 1961–62, a fast-tempo version by the Karl Denver Trio was the more successful in the UK. [3][4] Influenced by the new syncopated music that had been introduced into South Africa from the US during the 1880s, he included it in the Zulu songs he and his friends sang at weddings and feasts. In 2004, with the backing of the South African government and Gallo Records, Linda's descendants in South Africa sued The Walt Disney Company for its use in The Lion King movie and stage musical without paying royalties to them. The evening's young The night began Between the bottles in a mirror I'm smiling at myself Look in my eyes and start to count Solomon Linda is best remembered as the writer of "Mbube" (translated as "The Lion"), one of the most successful songs to come out of South Africa. Schwartz is an award-winning media guru, who has among his many accomplish- ments the first use of real children's voices in commercials (instead of actors imitating children). The original was written and recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda, a … Groups such as The Alexandrians were associated with the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union in Johannesburg. Rock of Ages. It’s estimated that Linda received a total of 10 shillings for the song. Performing Songwriter. One early cover was “Wimoweh” by US folk music quartet The Weavers in 1952; but the most well known is “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens: an American doo-wop group who released their single in 1961. According to Wikipedia, Linda: was familiar with the traditions of amahubo and … Although Linda recorded the first version with his group,… Read Full Biography. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a song originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda under the title "Mbube" for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. July/August 2006. http://performingsongwriter.com/lion-sleeps-tonight/, "Penniless sisters fight record industry over father's hit song", "ReMastered: The Lion's Share | Netflix Official Site", "Penniless singer's family sue Disney for Lion King royalties", "Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion", "Groundbreaking SA lawsuit sends a message to the world’s cultural power-brokers". Mbube or The Lion Sleeps Tonight as it would later become more popularly known is a 1939 Zulu recording by Solomon Linda and his group The Evening Birds for Gallo Records, South Africa. Mbube by Solomon Linda & The Evening Birds is part of folk music tradition in/by South Africa. Solomon Popoli Linda (1909 – 8 October 1962), also known as Solomon Ntsele ("Linda" was his clan name), was a South African musician, singer and composer best known as the composer of the song "Mbube", which later became the popular music success "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", and gave its name to the Mbube style of isicathamiya a cappella later popularized by Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It became a worldwide hit. The recording was produced by Motsieloa at the Gallo Recording Studios, in Johannesburg. The duration of song is 02:45. )[10], Despite the popularity and wide use of the song, Linda died impoverished in 1962 of kidney failure. Solomon Linda discography and songs: Music profile for Solomon Linda, born 1909. Menu. On 8 October 1962, Solomon Linda, the singer and composer of Mbube, which became the pop hit as 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight', died without receiving royalties for his work. Solomon Linda and Mbube: Our story begins in South Africa in the 1930s, where Zulu musician Solomon Linda was trying to establish himself in the Ladysmith area of Natal. Biography ↓ Songs ↓ Credits ↓ Related ↓ Song Highlights They were all Linda's friends from Pomeroy. The song was originally performed in the 1930s in South Africa by Solomon Linda in which the song was later adapted into " The Lion Sleeps Tonight " in 1961 by The Tokens which would later be used in the 1994 version of The Lion King. The estate was to receive payment for past uses of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and an entitlement to future royalties from its worldwide use. ... (Mbube)") 1988 Coming to America (writer: "Mbube (Wimoweh)") 1987 Op dolle toeren (TV Short) (lyrics: "Een boutje en een moertje en een schroefje en een nippeltje") / (music: "Een boutje en een moertje en een schroefje en een nippeltje") Linda, while working as a record packer at South African recording company Gallo Record Company, improvised "Mbube" during a recording session … His song "Mbube" had made him well known in South Africa. Mbube Lyrics. Solomon Linda is best remembered as the writer of "Mbube" (translated as "The Lion"), one of the most successful songs to come out of South Africa. As was the custom at the time, he sold the song to the recording studio for about ten shillings. Solomon Popoli Linda Solomon Popoli Linda was a South African musician, singer and composer. mbube synonyms, mbube pronunciation, mbube translation, English dictionary definition of mbube. It was pioneered by Solomon Linda and was popularised by Miriam Makeba, particularly through the songs "Mbube" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", as well as the band Ladysmith Black Mambazo in the 1960s. “Mbube” has been covered many times by artists around the world. Instead of using one singer per voice part, the Evening Birds used a number of bass singers. It was a hit in South Africa that influenced the evolution of a new choral musical style dubbed Mbube which was popular on South Africa’s mines. Although "Mbube" made Solomon Linda a popular performer in South Africa, he received little compensation beyond Pete Seeger's check. The song was adapted and covered internationally by many pop and folk revival artists in the 1950s and 1960s, including Henri Salvador, the Weavers, Jimmy Dorsey, Yma Sumac, Miriam Makeba, and the Kingston Trio. It features in the 2019 remake of The Lion King. Someone in America [Pete Seeger] heard it and decided to write English words. Mbube Solomon Linda’s Original Evening Birds. Linda was born in Msinga in rural KwaZulu Natal in 1909, and went to Gordon Memorial Mission School. [7], Linda found employment at Johannesburg's Carlton Hotel and started a new group that retained the Evening Birds name. Best known as the composer of the song "Mbube,” which later became the popular music success, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," which was famously used in the Lion King creation. Genres: Mbube. This recording is by Ladysmith Black Mambazo with Taj Mahal. He introduced the falsetto main voice, which incorporated female vocal texture into male singing. His singing group, the Evening Birds, recorded a song he made up on the spot called "Mbube." Linda sold the rights to Gallo Record Company for 10 shillings (less than US$2) soon after the recording was made. v - e - d [2][6], In 1948, the Evening Birds disbanded, and a year later Linda married Regina. This 20th-century classic was written by Solomon Popoli Linda (aka Solomon Ntsele) during the 1920s. His group was the first known to use striped suits to indicate that they were urban sophisticates. However, it is alleged that, by British laws then in effect, those rights should have reverted to Linda's heirs 25 years after his death in 1962. Solomon Linda, Soundtrack: Dead Calm. The song’s lyrics are written entirely in Zulu. If you want to listen to song(s) in the same genre or with the same root with Mbube (or folk music of South Africa), other than checking South Africa you can also check music of Lesotho. 1909 Solomon Linda is born. In 1939, while recording a number of songs in the studio, Linda improvised the song "Mbube" (Lion). After collapsing on stage in 1959, Solomon was diagnosed with kidney disease and he died on October 8, 1962. Follow the trail of “Mbube”: from Solomon Linda’s Zululand beginnings to its international hit status on Broadway and beyond. Check out Mbube by S.A. Solomon Linda'S Original Evening Birds on Amazon Music. The primary outcomes of the settlement were: DeMain, Bill. Tonight," which is a popular song around the world. For example, "Yethulisgqoko" ("Take off your hat", Gallo GE 887) recalls treatment by Pass Office officials, and ends with the words "Sikhalela izwe lakithi" ("We cry for our country"). [6], The Weavers' Carnegie Hall version was also the inspiration for the 1961 version recorded by popular music group The Tokens, for whom English lyrics were written by George David Weiss and retitled "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"; this is the version which most people are familiar with. "Mbube" is a song composed by Solomon Linda, Hugo Peretti, and Luigi Creatore. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Solomon_Linda&oldid=976659451, People from Umzinyathi District Municipality, Articles with dead external links from January 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Use South African English from September 2012, All Wikipedia articles written in South African English, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from November 2019, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Much of the discussion around the Mbube case, in order to make a strong case of misappropriation both emphasized the original contribution made by Solomon Linda and the unique circumstances of the song's creation. [3][4][5] He attended the Gordon Memorial mission school, where he learned about Western musical culture, hymns, and participated in choir contests. [3], Solomon Popoli Linda was born near Pomeroy, on the labor reserve Msinga, Umzinyathi District Municipality in Ladysmith in Natal, where he was familiar with the traditions of amahubo and izingoma zomshado (wedding songs) music. It was not until 18 years later that a tombstone was constructed at his gravesite. Solomon Linda (1909 – 8 October 1962) used to be an employee of Gallo records before rising to stardom and in 1939, brought wide attention to this style of singing founded in the Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) province and had spread throughout South Africa during the 1930s. Solomon Linda was born in the Zulu heartland of South Africa in 1909. Mbube song from the album Legends Of South Africa is released on Nov 2013. [3], Some of Linda's music can be interpreted as expressing political dissent. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". A trial was scheduled to start on 21 February 2006, but just before the trial, a settlement was reached between Linda's estate, Disney and Abilene Music Company, the true defendant of the litigation, who had granted an indemnity to Disney when it licensed use of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in The Lion King. Seeger retitled it "Wimoweh", an approximate phonetic rendering of the song's Zulu language refrain, "uyimbube" ("you are a lion", from "u-" ["you"], "yi-" ["are"] and "imbube" ["lion"]),[9] and it was introduced to America by The Weavers; they recorded a studio version in 1952 which became a Top 20 hit in the US, as well as an influential live version recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1955 and released in April 1957. Issue 95. Stream ad-free or purchase CD's and MP3s now on Amazon.com. The members of the group were Solomon Linda (soprano), Gilbert Madondo (alto), Boy Sibiya (tenor), with Gideon Mkhize, Samuel Mlangeni, and Owen Sikhakhane as basses. [11], In 2000, South African journalist Rian Malan wrote a feature article for the magazine Rolling Stone, describing Linda's story and estimating that the song had earned US$15 million for its use in The Lion King alone. Solomon Linda's song didn't die with him. A trust was to be formed to administer the estate's copyright in "Mbube" and to receive on their behalf the payments due from the use of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". Solomon Linda (far left) & The Evening Birds, holding 3 of their trophies for singing contests. "Mbube" means "lion“ in Zulu. [4] "Mbube" was a major success for Linda and the Evening Birds, reportedly selling more than 100,000 copies in South Africa by 1949. It is based on a song in the Zulu Language from South Africa that was written in 1939 by a musician named Solomon Linda. Such expressions were an occasional feature of Mbube songs. Solomon Popoli Ntsele, also known by his clan name “Linda”, was a South African singer known for what is now called Isicathamiya, a type of South African a capella singing later made world-famous by Ladysmith Black Mambazo. In his mid-20s, he moved to Johannesburg, where he led an a capella band that charmed audiences in the local beer halls. Scanned image of Linda's original Gallotone recording. Linda is credited with a number of musical innovations that came to dominate the isicathamiya style. Solomon Popoli Linda (1909 – 8 October 1962), also known as Solomon Ntsele ("Linda" was his clan name), was a South African musician, singer and composer best known as the composer of the song "Mbube", which later became the popular music success "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", and gave its name to the Mbube style of isicathamiya a cappella later popularized by Ladysmith Black Mambazo. This settlement applies to worldwide rights, not just South African, since 1987. He and his singing group The Evening Birds recorded the song at Gallo…. To call to a lion you say "mbube." Owen Dean, the lawyer for the family, states in his account of the lawsuit and its settlement: "in 1939 Linda found… While raising a family he continued to perform. This song is sung by Solomon Linda. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was to be acknowledged as derived from "Mbube". [13], In February 2006, Linda's estate attained a legal settlement with Abilene Music company, which had the worldwide rights and had licensed the song to Disney. This page was last edited on 4 September 2020, at 07:04. Folk Music of South Africa is traditionally brother to some other region(s) in the world. Define mbube. The money will go to a trust, to be administered by SA Music Rights CEO Nick Motsatsi.[14][15]. Albums include Mbube / Ngi Hambiki, Township Jazz 'n' Jive, and African Jazz n Jive. He never learned to read or write, but he had a knack for songwriting. Solomon Popoli Linda or Solomon Ntsele, known by his clan name "Linda" (1909 – 8 October 1962) was a South African Zulu musician, singer and composer who wrote the song "Mbube" which later became the pop hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", and gave its name to the Mbube style of isicathamiya a cappella later popularized by Ladysmith Black Mambazo. At the same time, their bass singing retained some musical elements indicative of traditional choral music. Malan and the South African filmmaker François Verster cooperated to make a television documentary called A Lion's Trail that tells Solomon Linda's story, and which was screened by PBS. [6], After Linda started working at the Gallo Record Company's Roodepoort plant in 1939 as a record packer,[8] the Evening Birds were witnessed by company talent scout Griffith Motsieloa. "Mbube" by Solomon Linda And The Evening Birds 1939 (YouTube link) In 1939, Solomon Linda was a young Zulu herdsman and singer who had moved to Johannesburg, South Africa, to make his fortune. He and his singing group The Evening Birds recorded the song at Gallo Record Company circa 1939. The Weavers' version was subsequently covered by The Kingston Trio in 1959. Solomon Popoli Linda (1909[1] – 8 September 1962), also known as Solomon Ntsele ("Linda" was his clan name),[2] was a South African musician, singer and composer best known as the composer of the song "Mbube", which later became the popular music success "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", and gave its name to the Mbube style of isicathamiya a cappella later popularized by Ladysmith Black Mambazo. [3][4][7], The group evolved from performances at weddings to choir competitions. He worked in the Mayi Mayi Furniture Shop on Small Street and sang in a choir known as the Evening Birds, managed by his uncles, Solomon and Amon Madondo, and which disbanded in 1933. Mbube is a South African vocal genre, traditionally performed a cappella in a powerful and loud way. It was released digitally on July 11, 2019, and physically on July 19, 2019, as part of the film's soundtrack. [6][12] The story of the lawsuit against Disney and the aftermath of the settlement is told in the 2019 Netflix documentary, The Lion's Share. [3], The original South African recording was discovered during the early 1950s by American musicologist Alan Lomax, who gave it to his friend, folk musician Pete Seeger of The Weavers. The first appearance of Solomon Linda's original "Mbube" in the United States comes about 1954, when Tony Schwartz used an excerpt of it on N.Y. 19 (Folkways FP 58). The Zulu word for lion is "imbube." The song is Mbube, produced by Zulu musician Solomon Linda in 1939. 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