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"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a song originally written and first recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda [2] under the title "Mbube", [3] through South African Gallo Record Company. In 1961, a version adapted into English by the doo-wop group the Tokens became a number-one hit in the United States.
The band used "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" as the B-side to this song in the U.S. The song was released on R.E.M.'s 1992 album, Automatic for the People , and was later released as a single in February 1993, reaching number one in Iceland, number 13 in Ireland, number 17 in the United Kingdom, and number 29 in New Zealand.
Solomon Popoli Linda OIG (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 pop music success "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", and gave its name to the Mbube style of isicathamiya a cappella later popularized by Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Isicathamiya contrasts with an earlier name for Zulu a cappella singing, mbube, meaning 'lion'. The change in name marks a transition in the style of the music: traditionally, music described as mbube is sung loudly and powerfully, while isicathamiya focuses more on achieving a harmonious blend between the voices.
The song was later made internationally famous, by The Weavers as "Wimoweh" in 1948 and then as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by The Tokens in 1961. Miriam Makeba's recording of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in the 1960s helped popularize the genre and establish the singing tradition. However, it was Robert John’s rendition of "The Lion Sleeps ...
Also mentioned in the lyrics are the songs "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the Tokens and "Dear Lady Twist" by Gary U.S. Bonds. Sharp recorded a sequel to "Mashed Potato Time" called "Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)". In 1996 the Campbell Soup Company featured the song in a $30 million advertising campaign, using a new, more upbeat recording by ...
"A Swingin' Safari" shares a number of compositional elements in common with The Tokens' 1961 hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," which itself was derived from several earlier arrangements of Solomon Linda's 1939 song "Mbube".
Solomon Linda's Original Evening Birds was a South African vocal group formed by Solomon Linda in 1933. The band is known internationally for their song "Mbube" released in 1939, which is the origin of Disney's 1994, The Lion King, hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". [1]