*Disclaimer: The title of the column is not a direct reference to the song or the writer of the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, but rather just a pun used as a column title. Not in anyway intended to disrespect the memory of Solomon Linda (RIP)*
MUSIC is a beautiful thing. The food of life can provoke emotion, alter a mood, change an environment and bring memories to mind. Another powerful gift of music, as much as some might disagree, is its ability to make a lot of money…
Solomon Linda is one of the greatest musical minds South Africa
Linda wrote an iconic song called Imbube, which was the original song that inspired a song that has been known around the world for decades. This song is called The Lion Sleeps Tonight. The credited original performers of this song were The Tokens, an otherwise forgettable doo-wap vocal group.
But the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight eventually became an all time smash hit and has to date made well beyond $15 million from its use in the animated film The Lion King alone.
What happened to Solomon Linda after his great creation became a success? His quality of life improved very little relatively and he died and was buried a pauper.
Why am I talking about a song that is more than half a century old in this column, you ask? Well, the story of Solomon Linda’s life is a glorious and tragic one indeed. He was a creative genius who never got what he deserved while he was living, but instead passed away without the millions that his song made.
This is a story of exploitation and being sidelined. And how common is that even in this day and age? How many times to others get to bask in the brilliance of another person’s efforts and talents?
I once had a conversation with a friend who told me that in life there are no guaranteed happy endings and that what some people might view as negative from you is critical to positive outcomes in your own personal life.
In simple English, he was saying that one needs to guard their gifts so carefully and regard them so highly, that it might appear to others to be arrogance, self-centeredness and narcissism.
I don’t know if I totally agree with him, but to a degree he was on to something. There are some people who fare better than others if a particular discipline, area, profession or craft than all of their peers. However, no matter how well they do, that discipline does not reward them as their work deserves.
Is this because they are bad? Not at all. Such people have just devoted all of their effort into creating quality but simply neglected to take care of their futures and ensure the craft and passion they love loves them back, so to speak.
The Beatles are the biggest selling musical act of all times selling and excess of 1billion records worldwide with twenty number one albums. But because they neglected to ensure that they had sole ownership of their enormous library of monumental music, other people got to cash in on rights to their music, including the King of Pop Michael Jackson (who reportedly had the rights to about one hundred Beatles songs at some point), and boy did they cash in big!
Of course, the loss for The Beatles was not as severe as it was for Solomon Linda (Paul McCartney is still among the richest musicians in the world each year) but money lost is money lost.
I am not at all saying that money is the most important thing in whatever one does. However it is important to surround oneself with positive energy where one’s passion is concerned and the best way to ensure that is make sure they energy you give to you work comes back to you in the form of rewards and results.
The universe and the laws of physics won’t do this for you. In fact, many will try to own part of something they see a lot of worth in it. It is not a matter of money but recognition and self affirmation.
President Nzumbi
President Nzumbi
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