Lebo M ordered to pay comedian R640,000 over 'The Lion King' song
Lebo M, the voice and composer behind Disney's 'The Lion King's popular 'Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba,' chant has been ordered to pay comedian Jonasi Learnmore Mwanyenyeky $39,560.
Music producer Lebohang Morake, also known as Lebo M, has been ordered to pay $39,560 (approximately R640,000) to comedian Jonasi Learnmore Mwanyenyeky.
This is after the musician sued Jonasi over the popular “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” chant, which is performed at the beginning of the iconic 'Circle of Life', the first song on the Billboard 200-topping 1994 soundtrack to 'The Lion King'.
The dispute came after Jonasi appeared on One54 Africa podcast and sang the chant. He was then asked what it meant. He jokingly said it meant, “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my God,” instead of the true meaning, “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.”
Following his appearance on the podcast, Lebo M opened a case against the comedian, accusing him of defamation and calling the interpretation a “fabricated, trivializing distortion, meant as a sick joke for unlawful self-profit.” He sued the comedian for $27 million in damages.
However, following months of deliberation, Judge Josephine Staton ruled in favour of Jonasi on Friday, and Lebo M was ordered to pay him $39,560 in attorney’s fees.
Billboard reports: "Jonasi’s attorneys argued that it targets core First Amendment protections by trying to 'punish' a comedian simply because he had been offended by a joke. Because the First Amendment is so important in our society, the court should… not allow plaintiff to twist trademark law to suppress free speech.”
The ruling brings an end to the legal battle between Lebo M and Jonasi, with the comedian successfully defending the joke as an exercise of free speech.
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