This film tells the story of the most famous song ever to come from Africa: ‘Mbube’, which first evolved into ‘Wimoweh’, and then into the universally popular ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’. A Lion’s Trail takes us on a journey through South Africa and the USA, into the musical worlds of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the Manhattan Brothers, Pete Seeger and more. At the same time it reveals how Solomon Linda, the illiterate Zulu musician who composed the song, hardly received a penny from it while others continue to make millions from adaptations. The film is both a vibrant and joyous celebration of the timeless power of this song as well as a strong indictment of still-present injustices within the international recording industry and a record of the attempts to recover a stolen African dream.
François Verster (South Africa) | South Africa, USA | 2003 | 55 min | Zulu and English spoken, English subtitles
awards: Emmy Award for best non-fiction film 2006; Best Documentary Award, Portobello Film Festival 2003, Silver Dhow Award, Zanzibar International Film Festival 2003, NTVA Stone Award: Best Documentary 2003, NTVA Stone Craft Awards 2003: Art direction, Concept, Script and Research
Shiyani Ngcobo
Maskanda music started at the beginning of the 20th century in South Africa, when Zulu workers migrated from rural areas to the city. Initially, the guitar was the sole instrument that was used but later concertina, bass guitar and percussion were added in the mix. The texture of the plucking sound consists of simple repetitive chords, which are rhythmically complex. Guitarist/singer Shiyani Ngcobo (1953) was born in Umzinto, on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Accompanying himself with his acoustic guitar or Igogogo, a guitar that was built from a petrol can, he sings about the ordeals of his generation and offers a speedy version of the traditional Izibongo, which are recited odes. The musicians are supported by the energetic Zulu dancer Maureen Bongekile Ngwabe.
