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The Lion Sleeps Tonight
1939 song by Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
"Mbube" is a popular song written and composed by South African musician Solomon Linda in 1939. It was first published in South Africa and made its way to the United States a decade later. In 1961, the Tokens adapted the melody and added English lyrics to create "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", lending the song the name by which it is best known today. Linda, a migrant worker, led the a cappella group the Evening Birds. In 1939, they improvised a retelling of a lion-hunting incident in Zulu that melded regional music with Western influences. The recording, "Mbube", brought Linda much fame across South Africa and steered the development of isicathamiya music. However, he had sold his rights to "Mbube" to the owner of his parent record company, Eric Gallo, for ten shillings, unaware of what the transaction entailed. This kept him from earning royalties. The recording was then sent to a record label in the US and eventually landed in Pete Seeger's hands; his folk quartet, the Weavers, covered the...
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