South African composer and Grammy winner Lebo M. has filed a lawsuit against Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi for misperforming the unforgettable vocals of the song “Circle of Life” from Disney’s “The Lion King.”
The dispute centers on allegations of misrepresentation and misleading representations, raising the question of how far comedy can go before crossing legal boundaries.
Lebo M filed a $27 million lawsuit
Lebo Morake, better known as Lebo M, filed a lawsuit on March 16 against Jonasi after the latter appeared on a podcast in February, during which he translated the Zulu chant at the beginning of “Circle of Life.” The clip went viral, with many saying their childhoods were ruined after hearing Jonasi’s translation.
According to documents obtained by PEOPLELebo M claims that Jonasi made “false factual statements about the meaning of the composition ‘Nants’ingonyama'”. The comedian is being sued for per se, commercial defamation, tortious interference with prospective economic advantage and violation of the Lanham Act, a federal trademark law that protects trademark owners. The composer is seeking $27 million in damages.
According to Lebo M, Jonasi presented his translation as “authoritative fact, not a comedy”, adding that he “moked the cultural significance of the song with exaggerated imitations”.
Learn more Jonasi’s viral video
In February, Jonasi was a guest on the “One54 Africa” podcast hosted by comedian Godfrey and former footballer Akbar Gbaja-Biamila. At one point, the trio discussed the iconic “Lion King” chant, with Gbaja-Biamila saying, “I heard you had a problem with ‘Lion King.’
After Jonasi sang the chant, he was asked what it meant, to which he replied, “Look! There’s a lion. Oh my god.” Gbaja-Biamila responded incredulously, saying: “You’re kidding. That’s not what it means.” “That’s exactly what it means,” Jonasi responded.
In Lebo M’s court filing, he said Jonasi’s translation was too simplistic, adding: “The true meaning of Nants’ ingonyama bagithi Baba is ‘Let us all salute the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.’
Online reactions to viral video
The clip of the podcast has been circulating online and many users have shared it on different social media platforms.
One commenter said: “This man is not about to destroy my childhood with all this detail! » Another added: “It is preferable that certain texts are not translated. » One user wrote that they didn’t want to believe it, adding: “My whole childhood was turned upside down in the moment.”
Others, meanwhile, took the time to explain why Jonasi was wrong. One commenter, who is Zulu, explained: “I’m not criticizing him, but there’s a nuance to the language that only native speakers understand, and he missed it – otherwise he probably ignored it for comedic purposes.” »
Another user wrote: “I’m Zulu, and it basically translates to ‘Here is our lion’ and what it really means in our culture is ‘Here is our king!’ »
Lebo M contacted the actor
Before taking legal action, Lebo M contacted Jonasi. On March 4, the composer took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the viral video, claiming that the comedian intentionally turned the song into a joke to go viral, calling him an “idiot” for disrespecting the song.
According to Lebo M, he explained the chant to Jonasi saying it was a cultural heritage. However, Jonasi said that as a comedian, he has been making this joke for several years and he is not going to stop.
Jonasi also took to Instagram, posting a video in which he explained why he “fired” Lebo M. The comedian said that he really liked the song and that what he said was just a joke. “Comedy has a way of starting a conversation,” he noted, adding that he told the composer that the viral moment was a good way to educate people.
Jonasi said he wanted to collaborate with Lebo M to make a video and clear up the misunderstanding, but Lebo M called him “self-hatred,” which ended the conversation. “This person is literally not attacking the joke, but my character,” he shared.
Lebo M won a Grammy for “Circle of Life”
In 1995, Lebo M and fellow composer Hans Zimmer won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocals at the Grammys for “Circle of Life.” The former also lent his voice for singing, and the same song was used in the 2019 remake of “The Lion King.”
In his Instagram post, Lebo M wrote in the caption: “This is where we start something important, a conversation dedicated to decoding the meaning of words, to restoring the context, the culture and the power they carry. Because some phrases are not just words. They are a legacy.”