Grammy-winning South African composer Lebohang Morake, widely known as Lebo M, has filed a lawsuit against Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi over the alleged misrepresentation of the iconic opening chant in Disney's The Lion King.
The chant, which opens the 1994 animated film and the 2019 remake, is central to the franchise's cultural and musical identity. Morake alleges that Jonasi's translations during a stand-up routine and a podcast interview deliberately distorted the meaning of the song, causing reputational harm and financial loss.
The complaint, filed this month in federal court in Los Angeles, states that Jonasi's version of the chant has gone viral on social media and that the comedian performed similar jokes during a 12 March stand-up in Los Angeles, where he received a standing ovation. The lawsuit claims that these public statements are interfering with Morake's business relationships with Disney and royalties, seeking over $20 million (roughly £15 million) in actual damages and $7 million (around £5.2 million) in punitive damages.
The Original Meaning of the Chant
Disney provides an official translation of the opening Zulu phrase, 'Nants'ingonyama bagithi Baba', as 'All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.' Morake further explains the subsequent line, 'Hay! baba, sizongqoba', as 'Through you we will emerge victoriously.' The lawsuit stresses that the chant functions as a royal metaphor and is a culturally significant proclamation grounded in South African musical traditions.
According to Morake's legal team, Jonasi's public translations deliberately ignored this cultural context, reducing a song with deep historical and artistic significance to a simplistic, humorous remark. The complaint argues that this misrepresentation is not protected as parody because it was presented as authoritative fact rather than comedy.
Comedian's Version and Public Reaction
During an episode of the Nigerian podcast One54, Jonasi corrected hosts who sang the chant with incorrect words, then offered his own translation in Zulu: 'Look, there's a lion. Oh my god.' The hosts laughed, remarking that they had previously imagined the chant's meaning as something more majestic.
Jonasi also used the platform to critique American portrayals of Africa in popular films, noting the incongruity of animals with Western accents and referencing other works such as Black Panther.
In a video posted on Instagram, Jonasi described himself as a fan of Morake's work and said that he intended to create a collaborative video to explain the chant's deeper meaning. He later withdrew from the project after an exchange with Morake, in which the composer reportedly labelled him 'self-hating'. Jonasi's video has attracted more than 100,000 likes, highlighting the international attention the dispute has received.
Lawsuit Delivered During Live Stand-Up Performance
Jonasi reportedly received notice of the lawsuit while performing on stage during his US tour in Los Angeles. According to the complaint, the comedian was informed of the legal action after a stand-up routine in which he had made jokes about the 'Circle of Life' chant, drawing attention from both the live audience and social media.
Disney has not commented on the lawsuit, and Jonasi has no publicly listed attorney for the case. Both parties continue to engage in discussions on social media, maintaining international attention on the dispute and the broader conversation about accurate representation of African music and languages in global media.
