LION’S TRAIL

Tells the story of how the Zulu Isicathamiya song, “Mbube” was transcribed by American folk singer, Pete Seeger, into “Wimoweh” and finally gained international fame as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. “Mbube” was composed by Solomon Linda in 1920 and was first recorded at Gallo in 1939, after he moved to Johannesburg. Today nearly all international rights for the song are held by Americans – principally by George Weiss – while the HIV-positive daughter of Solomon Linda could not afford to buy the necessary medicine to prolong her life.