The composer behind the chant at the start of The Lion King has filed a lawsuit against a comedian for allegedly misrepresenting its lyrics.
The composer behind the chant at the start of The Lion King has filed a lawsuit against a comedian for allegedly misrepresenting its lyrics.
The composer behind the chant at the start of The Lion King has filed a lawsuit against a comedian for allegedly misrepresenting its lyrics.
Lebohang Morake, 61, known professionally as Lebo M, is suing stand-up Learnmore Jonasi, 32 – whose full name is Learnmore Mwanyenyeka – of making “false statementsof fact” about the chant “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” during an appearance on the One54 Africa podcast.
The chant features in both the 1994 animated film and its 2019 adaptation, with the score composed by Hans Zimmer, and songs written by Elton John and Tim Rice.
According to court documents obtained by People, Lebo alleges the remarks constitute violations including defamation per se, trade libel and breaches of the Lanham Act, as well as tortious interference with prospective economic advantage.
In the podcast clip, Learnmore said: “‘Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba’ translates to, ‘Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god’.”
The complaint states Learnmore “presented this as authoritative fact, not comedy”, and alleges he “mocked the chant’s cultural significance with exaggerated imitations”.
Lebo M is suing a comedian over the opening chant from The Lion King, claiming it was misrepresented. Photo / Getty Images
The filing further states: “Jonasi’s reduction to ‘Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god’ is not a simplified translation – it is a fabricated, trivialising distortion, meant as a sick joke for unlawful self-profit and destruction of the imaginative and artistic work of Lebo M.”
The complaint adds: “The true meaning of Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba is, ‘All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king’.”
Following the circulation of the clip online, Lebo is said to have contacted Learnmore via Instagram, raising concerns about the comments.
The complaint alleges Lebo told Learnmore his “stated comments were not part of standup” and sought to “erase over 30 years of work”, while Learnmore is said to have disagreed with that assessment.
Lebo is seeking a jury trial and US$27 million ($46m) in damages.
The Lion King remains one of Disney’s most successful animated films, with the film’s soundtrack achieving huge commercial success.
Its 2019 remake also surpassed US$1.6 billion ($2.7b) globally, reinforcing the franchise’s enduring appeal.
The story, characters and music have continued to resonate with audiences, supporting spin-offs, stage adaptations and continued global popularity across multiple generations worldwide.
