The unmistakable opening chant of “The Lion King” is one of the most recognizable moments in film history. Now, a dispute over what those words actually mean has landed in federal court.
South African composer Lebohang Morake, the Grammy-winning artist who wrote and performed the “Circle of Life” opening chant, has filed a lawsuit against comedian Learnmore Jonasi. The suit, filed this month in federal court in Los Angeles, accuses Jonasi of intentionally mistranslating the chant from Zulu and Xhosa and mocking “the chant’s cultural significance with exaggerated imitations.”
Morake is seeking a jury trial and $27 million in damages — more than $20 million in compensatory damages and $7 million in punitive damages. Morake lives in Los Angeles, and Jonasi recently performed there.
What the Chant Really Means
The chant has been central to the 1994 film, its stage versions and the 2019 remake. According to Disney’s official translation, “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” means “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.” The line “Hay! baba, sizongqoba” translates to “Through you we will emerge victoriously,” according to Morake.
The controversy began with Jonasi’s appearance on the podcast One54. During the episode, hosts initially sang the chant incorrectly. Jonasi corrected them, saying, “That’s not how you sing it, don’t mess up our language like that.” He then sang the lyrics in Zulu and offered his own translation: “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god.”
The hosts laughed, saying they thought the meaning was more “beautiful and majestic.”
The Legal Argument
The lawsuit claims the translation was presented “as authoritative fact, not comedy,” arguing it is not protected as parody or satire.
Morake’s lawyers acknowledged that “ingonyama” can literally mean “lion” but said it was used as a “royal metaphor” invoking kingship. They claim Jonasi intentionally misrepresented “an African vocal proclamation grounded in South African tradition.”
The suit alleges reputational damage, impact on Morake’s Disney relationships and loss of royalties.
The joke didn’t stay on the podcast. On March 12, Jonasi performed a stand-up show in Los Angeles where the lawsuit says he “received a standing ovation” for a similar joke. The bit spread widely online.
During his routine and podcast appearance, Jonasi also offered a broader critique of how the film portrays Africa. “The lions had American accents in Africa, and then you had the monkey with an accent,” Jonasi said.
The Comedian Responds
Jonasi responded in an Instagram video that received more than 100,000 likes. He said he’s a “big fan” of Morake’s work.
“Comedy always has a way of starting conversation,” Jonasi said. “This is your chance to actually educate people, because now people are listening.”
Jonasi said he initially wanted to collaborate with Morake on a video explaining the chant’s meaning but changed his mind after an exchange of messages. He said Morake called him “self-hating.”
No attorney has been publicly listed for Jonasi.
A Showman’s Response
On March 24, Jonasi posted a video of himself being served with the lawsuit papers onstage during a comedy show.
Later that day, he posted another Instagram photo of himself wearing a T-shirt depicting him holding up Simba, the lion from The Lion King, with the words: “Help me pay these legal fees. T-shirts available in my bio.” The caption read: “You can help me pay these crazy legal fees, I don’t have 27M 😂😂😂.”
The dispute continues to play out across social media, with no resolution in sight.
