from the velds of zululand to broadway

in 1932 solomon linda recorded a song called “mbube” (zulu for lion) in the isicathamiya style for gallo records in johanesburg south africa. the song’s melody was based on that of a traditional song sang by zulu women during (after?) a lion hunt. thus began the saga of one of the world’s most recorded pieces of music, one that highlights the gap between the law and ownership of cultural artifacts like music.

while the current debate is being held in the context of technology (the “rip, mix and burn” ethic that is at the confluence of computers, file sharing and the internet) the story of”mbube” or “the lion sleeps tonight” as it is more commonly known plays out against the backdrop of apartheid and racism.

wnet’s independent lens aired a documentary on monday night, which narrated the efforts of solomon linda’s family to get compensation from american composer david weiss and others for use of the melody in their compositions (the lion sleeps tonight is used in disney’s broadway presentation of the lion king). they have had limited success so far despite the high profile that south african journalist rian malan has brought to the cause in his writing and activism.