Photographer's Note
Uyimbube (Zulu)…. You’re a lion.
Most of us a familiar with the song Wimoweh but how many know its roots ? Produced by Zulu musician Solomon Linda in 1939. It's estimated that Linda received a total of 10 shillings for the song. Yet the tune went on to become Pete Seeger's runaway hit Wimoweh, then the Tokens' The Lion Sleeps Tonight, on to at least 160 covers, before ending up in the voices of Timon and Pumbaa, the meerkat and warthog characters in Disney's classic movie and Broadway hit The Lion King
Along the way, it is said to have earned some US$15-million (R90-million) in royalties - but not for Linda. The musician died in 1962 with less than R100 in his bank account. His widow couldn't afford a headstone for his grave. After a six-year battle his surviving daughters Delphi, Elizabeth and Fildah, who had claimed almost R10-million from copyright holder Abilene Music, settled their dispute for an undisclosed sum. The settlement involves back payment of royalties to the family and the right to receive future payments for worldwide use.
Read more: http://www.southafrica.info/about/arts/mbube-210206.htm#.VG121vmUd8E#ixzz3JaBwixml
This shot was taken in the late afternoon when the eight year old Mbube was dozing under a tree
If you would like to listen to the original Solomon Linda song follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrrQT4WkbNE
For a version by Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Mbube Wimoweh follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJF87m4_k88
And for a rendition by the brilliant Miriam Makeba follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G85hfwX2dVk
In the WS you can see an alternative view
You can view a large, higher quality version here
COSTANTINO, jjcordier, tyro, snunney, holmertz, ikeharel, gildasjan, Robert1969, Cricri, No_One marcou esta nota como útil
Critiques | Translate
jadesgran
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 508 W: 0 N: 340]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-g.gif){kind=small}
(5433) 2014-11-19 21:58
Hello Rosemary
A very informative note - Thankyou.
What a magnificent beast. You have captured it beautifully.The soft colours of the background and the lion all compliment each other.
Kind Regards
Gladys.
COSTANTINO
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 7500 W: 23 N: 13452]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-s-g.gif){kind=small}
(86449) 2014-11-19 22:07
Hello my dear friend
and have a nice time
excellent capture of the lion sleeping
the lion and the colors of the environment
are almost the same
nice timing
regards
Costantino
jjcordier
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6720 W: 240 N: 11709]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif){kind=small}
(79299) 2014-11-19 23:20
Rosemary
Belle capture....et en plus tu n'étais pas très loin vue la focale utilisée. Attention, le lion se réveille (WS très beau également!)
Intéressante note
Amicalement
JJ
emka
(131648) 2014-11-19 23:22
Hello Rosemary, What an interesting story! I do not know this song, so famous. It happens with the artists, that they become famous and could be wealthy only after their death. let's hope that at least the daughter will hove something.
And wonderful view of the sleeping lion. You could be so close! I saw the lions but only far away. It is such a sharp picture, it seems we could stroke it on the mane.
WArm regrad s MAlgo
tyro
(28094) 2014-11-20 1:21
Hello Rosemary,
A very interesting and emotive note you have written and I do hope that, in the end, Solomon Linda's family do receive a decent financial recompense for what he was so cruelly denied during his lifetime.
Two beautiful photographs of Mbube - one of him dozing and one of him awakening. They are both beautiful pictures and I love the dappled light afforded by the shadows of the overhanging tree. I'm wondering just how close you were when you took these shots - I see that you took your main picture on a focal length of 240mm. The light, colours, exposure and sharpness are all just perfect.
I love both of these but I must confess that, on balance, I think I prefer your workshop picture which, because it is a closer view and Mbube is awake, is just that little bit more intimate.
Beautiful!
Kind Regards,
John.
jurek1951
(42198) 2014-11-20 3:29
Hi,
Well composed pic with excellent POV for a Lion Portrait. The Lighting, detail and sharpness are also great.
Georg
gervaso
(24789) 2014-11-20 3:37
Hello, Rosemary!
That's a picture I dream taking some day! The close up is perfect, and so are the colors and sharpness! I like the monochromatic tones of the scene. Wonderful job!
snunney
(128253) 2014-11-20 4:09
Hello Rosemary,
Yes, I remember this song very well and knew some of the story behind it. I rather liked the version by Karl Denver in the sixties, though the Tokens were very good as well, showing my age now:-) This is a very fine capture of this sleeping beast. I like the lighting very much. Superb rendering of the colours and detail in the coat.
Sergiom
(111316) 2014-11-20 5:54
Bonjour Rosemary,
Même si il semble calme et endormi, je crois que je ne m'approcherait pas plus de la bête qui même dans son sommeil a des allures de roi de la jungle.Le cadrage et la netteté sont parfaits.
Amicalement
Serge
holmertz
(76974) 2014-11-20 7:58
Hello Rosemary,
Two wonderful photos of the magnificent Mbube (what does "Uyi..." mean?). It's really a hard choice between them. He is lying in the shade but partly exposed to the sun, which could have made the exposure of the photo tricky, but you have handled that very well. It's a very interesting note too. I guess the cotton pickers in Burkina Faso or goldminers in South Africa get paid roughly according to the same principles that made The Tokens rich and kept Solomon Linda poor.
Kind regards,
Gert
ikeharel
(95120) 2014-11-20 8:18
Good evening Rosemary,
From a safe distance of the zoom-lense, maanged a most impressive two photos of the mighty Mbube Lion. It looks content and numb after his lunch consumed maybe...
Amazing animal, pitty they are not so friendly like dogs, and must be preserved animal on nature, for future's sake.
My best regards,
Ike
gildasjan
(43826) 2014-11-20 9:06
Bonjour Rosemary
Beau rendu des teintes à l'unisson.Ici ce lion se confond au milieu naturel.Les teintes de son pelage et celui de la végétation le rendent quasiment invisible à partir d'une certaine distance.Très bon rendu des textures sur la t^te de ce fauve.
Bonne journée
Amicalement
Gildas
carlo62
(75828) 2014-11-20 13:48
Ciao Rosemary
il mondo non cambia mai, chi ha soldi ne fa sempre di più, chi non ne ha non ne avrà mai....
La fotografia di un leone fa sempre sensazione e tu ce ne presenti addirittura due, belle in entrambi i casi.
Bella foto e interessante nota (anche se triste).
Saluti
Carlo
Robert1969
(7160) 2014-11-21 1:03
Hello Rosemary,
Beautiful portrait from the King, with an
excellent light management. And thanks for
the interesting story/note.
Friendly regards,
Robert
Cricri
(150949) 2014-11-22 4:46
Hi Rosemary
Deux belles images de ce bel animal, ne dit t'on pas que c'est le roi des animaux:-)
le voir ainsi j'aurai envie de le caresser....il semble que le soleil lui fait du bien, très beau portrait
Belle journée
cricri
No_One
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 4179 W: 26 N: 9240]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-s-n.gif){kind=small}
(4) 2014-11-22 10:03
Hi Rosemary,
I have always loved that song, and even seeing its name I am now sitting here happily singing the song to myself....oooooh, ooooh ooooohh, the lion sleeps tonight :) a song that reminds me very much of my childhood, so thank you for the very interesting note, not to mention of course this fanatic picture.
This great cat looks so calm and content it could almost be a household pet. I guess though that to get closer would show the other face of the king of the jungle.
Hope all is well.
Cheers
Noel
Silvio1953
(181777) 2014-11-23 12:01
Ciao Rosemary, great capture of superb creature, fine details, wonderful colors, excellent clarity and splendid light, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio
jemaflor
(119792) 2014-11-24 10:42
Hi Rosemary,
paeceful attitude for this lion, well taken, good sharpness, strong light.
Discussions
- To tyro: 6 meters (2)
by SnapRJW, last updated 2014-11-20 02:18 - To holmertz: Lion (1)
by SnapRJW, last updated 2014-11-20 09:13
