Linda's song also gave the name to a style of African a cappella music that evolved into isicathamiya (also called mbube), popularized by Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
By 1948, the song had sold over 100,000 copies in Africa and among black South African immigrants in Great Britain. Issued by Gallo as a 78-rpm phonograph record in 1939, and marketed to black audiences, "Mbube" became a hit and Linda a star throughout South Africa. In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. The third take was the best, achieving immortality when Solly took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and improvised the melody that the world now associates with these words: "Mbube" wasn't the most remarkable tune, but there was something compelling about the underlying chant, a dense meshing of low male voices above which Solomon yodelled and howled for two exhilarating minutes, improvising occasionally. He spent his weekends performing with the Evening Birds, a musical ensemble, and it was at Gallo Records, under the direction of producer Griffiths Motsieloa, that Linda and his fellow musicians recorded several songs, including "Mbube", which incorporated a call-response pattern common among many Sub-Saharan African ethnic groups, including the Zulu. "Mbube" ( Zulu for "lion") was written by Solomon Linda, a South African Zulu singer, who worked for the Gallo Record Company in Johannesburg as a cleaner and record packer. Problems playing this file? See media help. This song is written and composed in the key of F major. The pop group Tight Fit had a number one hit in the UK with the song in 1982. It went on to earn millions in royalties from cover versions and film licensing. In 1961, a version adapted into English with the title "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the doo-wop group the Tokens became a number-one hit in the United States. Artists who have recorded various versions of the song include R.E.M., NSYNC, Henri Salvador, Karl Denver, Jimmy Dorsey, Yma Sumac, Noro Morales, Miriam Makeba, and the Kingston Trio. It was recorded as " Wimoweh" by the Weavers in November 1951, and published by Folkways Music Publishers in December 1951. The song has been adapted and covered internationally by many pop and folk artists. Linda's original was written in isiZulu, while the English version's lyrics were written by George David Weiss. " 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. The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) (Audio) on YouTube
The song went down a storm and hit No.1 for 3 weeks. Not having any copyright and embarrased by the falsetto voice bit, they didn't release the song, until their record label convinced them too. The Tokens liked the tune and penned the familiar 'Lion' lyrics, and recorded the song in the very early 60's. The Weavers did a cover in the late 1950's. The song 'wimoweh' is based quite strongly on 'Mbube'. The history of the song when it was brought to these shores is scattered, although it is known that the phonetic pronounciation of 'mbube' is very close to 'wimoweh', and that's where the lyric came from. Well, Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds released the original 'Mbube' (in 1939), which is in Zulu. "What's the difference between 'Wimoweh' and 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'?" I hear you cry? The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Caribbean Version) There are lyrics to the Lebo M version here I couldn't even hope to outdo this history of the song. I am, in fact, so obsessed with this song that I currently have 86 different recordings of it, by 72 different artists. Yes, it even out-does 'New York City' by They Might Be Giants This has to be my all-time favorite song. uk - The Lion Sleeps Tonight!ģ0/April/2023 - London time is 04:02 (BST)
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