The Lion Sleeps Tonight
The Tokens (1961)
The Tokens Italian TV 1961
Cartoons
Written by George David Weiss, Hugo Peretti, and Luigi Creatore.
Performed by "The Tokens" (1961)
Original song ( Mbube) written by the southafrican singer Solomom Linda, based on zulu tradition.
Alan Lomax collected this song and suggested it to the folk singer Pete Seeger. He edited this song renamed "Wimoweh".
Pete Seeger explains in one recording, "it refers to an old legend down there, [about] their last king [of the Zulus], who was known as Shaka The Lion. Legend says, Shaka The Lion didn't die when Europeans took over our country; he simply went to sleep, and he'll wake up some day." (See "Senzenina / Wimoweh" on Seeger's With Voices Together We Sing (Live).) cf. sleeping hero
Solomon Linda (1939)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrrQT4WkbNE
Pete Seeger & The Weavers: Wimoweh (1957)
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Wee-ooh wim-o-weh. Wee-ooh wim-o-weh.
Wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh
o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-weh.
Wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh
o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-weh.
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.
In the jungle, the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.
Wee-ooh wim-o-weh.
Wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh
o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-weh.
Wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh
o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-weh.
Near the village, the peaceful village, the lion sleeps tonight.
Near the village, the quiet village, the lion sleeps tonight.
Wee-ooh wim-o-weh. Wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh
o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-weh.
Wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh
o-wim-o-weh o-wim-o-weh o-wim-weh.
Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight.
Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight.
Whuh whuh whuh wim-o-weh. Wee-ooh wim-o-weh wee-ooh
wim-o-weh wee-ooh wim-o-weh.
Information:
The lion sleeps tonight
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_Sleeps_Tonight
Informazioni in italiano:
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_Sleeps_Tonight
Questo pezzo fu portato alla ribalta negli anni quaranta da Solomon Linda e "The Evening Birds" e, successivamente, negli anni sessanta nella versione di Hank Medress con il suo gruppo "The Tokens". Il brano riprende una melodia africana degli Zulu intitolata "Wimoweh" ed è tradotto in italiano come "Il leone si è addormentato"
About Solomon Linda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Linda
http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/bio/0,,675358,00.html
“Mbube”, “Wimoweh”, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”:story of a song
http://folkmusic.suite101.com/article.cfm/mbube-wimoweh--the-lion-sleeps-tonight
The Tokens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tokens
The Tokens (in italiano)
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tokens
Other performances:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7Q2H0cGI9k
Variation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbo1I6zZkkE
Myriam Makeba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6AAtKmx6Qk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G85hfwX2dVk
Soweto Gospel Choir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbQVdLRqJ1w
Pete Seeger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7XjzqPZJDc
Mahotella Queens - Mbube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GvrVIQ3QbE
