What Classic Song Features The Distinctive Chant, “A-Wimoweh, A-Wimoweh, A-Wimoweh?”

What classic song features the distinctive chant, “a-wimoweh, a-wimoweh, a-wimoweh?” That classic song is "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". It was sung by Soloman Linda.

Interesting Facts

Here are some interesting facts about "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" song:

• What classic song features the distinctive chant, “a-wimoweh, a-wimoweh, a-wimoweh?” It was "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". The song's original name, "Mbube," which means "lion," was a hunting song that was sung in Zulu in what is now Swaziland.
• Solomon Linda, a South African singer, made this popular in the 1930s by recording it in 1939 with his band, The Evening Birds. They were reportedly a brazen group that got the notion from chasing lions that were hunting the cattle that belonged to their relatives.
• A talent scout found Solomon Linda, who then made the song in Johannesburg, South Africa. Although largely spontaneous, the chanting was incredibly effective. It became a major smash all throughout South Africa after being released on the Gallo label. In an effort to get it distributed in the US, Gallo submitted a copy to Decca Records in the US in 1948. Pete Seeger, a folk singer, got a hold of it and began composing an English translation.
• In the 1950s, Pete Seeger and his band, The Weavers, as well as Miriam Makeba (who dominated the charts with "Goodnight Irene") covered this song with Zulu lyrics. The song's refrain, without any lines, was recorded by the Weavers and given the name "Wimoweh." In 1952, their rendition peaked at #15 on the US Best Sellers charts. It was included on The Weavers At Carnegie Hall, a particularly well-liked folk album released in 1957.
• In the original, Seeger believed they were saying "Wimoweh," therefore he recorded it in English as "Wimoweh." Actually, they were saying "Uyimbube," which translates to "You're a Lion." Uyimbubewas mistaken for "Wimeoweh" because of how it is pronounced: oo-yim-bweh-beh.
• Murray the K, a well-known disc jockey, promoted "Tina," but once a New EnglandDJ began playing the B-side on the air, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" began to ascend to the top of the charts and peaked in the Christmas vacations of 1961-1962.
• The return of Chubby Checker's "The Twist" to the top of the Hot 100, 17 months after it first held that position, ended "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."

People Also Ask

Who Wrote The Lion Sleeps Tonight?

• Hugo Peretti.
• Luigi Creatore.
• George David Weiss.
• Lebo M.

Where Did The Word Wimoweh Come From?

The word "Wimoweh" comes from the word "Uyimbube".

What Is The Wimoweh Meaning?

It means "you're a lion".

What Is The Song The Lion Sleeps Tonight Based On?

The song "Mbube," which was composed and released by South African musician and migrant worker Solomon Linda in the Thirties, served as the inspiration for the 1960s pop smash "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."

Conclusion

What classic song features the distinctive chant, “a-wimoweh, a-wimoweh, a-wimoweh?” The song that would become "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was first composed in Zulu and was first released as "Mbube" by Solomon Linda in 1939.

Zulu for "lion," "Mbube" went on to become one of the most well-known songs in history, inspiring countless cover songs in languages like French, Japanese, and Spanish.

More than 150 artists have recorded "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," also known as "Wimoweh," in English, and it has been used in more than 15 full-length motion pictures.

On this date in 1961, the song peaked at the top of the Billboard pop chart and quickly became a success for the doo-wop group The Tokens.

About The Authors

Buttskin Family- The Buttskins are a crazy author family who love writing, laughter, and eating an unhealthy amount of junk food. Mom Rockita started scribbling stories as soon as she could hold a pen, and Dad John didn't realize authoring children's books was a real job until after they were married. Their kids have embraced storytelling at an early age. Little Lucy, age 5, dictates her colorful tales about dragons and princesses to her parents. Her 8-year old brother Jake collects scraps of paper to diagram his latest imaginary adventure involving ninjas and dinosaurs.