A wimoweh a wimoweh…
It’s funny because as far as we know, lions sleep during the day. But the song, “The lion sleeps tonight” has caught on with the masses, largely thanks to Disney. The Lion King to be exact. You’ve sang it too.
And it’s a great song when done a cappella. That’s why we sing the darn thing!
The song was born in 1939.
Fast forward to 2020 and here’s Anne Reburn with her own version. She’s no slouch. In fact, she does all four parts with her own voice. To emphasize that fact, Anne uploads the video with herself divided into four parts, each singing a distinct part.
She was three when she took part in her first tap dance onstage performing to “I just can’t wait to be king“. Anne really has a penchant for lion themed songs. Could it be her favorite Disney movie?
Anne learned the piano, guitar, and bass at a young age as well. Her voice followed as she performed in local musical theater shows. This Oklahoma lady now has 337k followers on her YouTube channel.
And this video has nearly 4.2 million views.
Anne is so impressive. It sounds like a choir if you listen to it minus the video. Her vocal talents alone got her thousands of adoring fans, one of whom said,
“Never heard this girl in my life, she popped up on my feed and I clicked – why not? Well, turns out she’s got a pretty darn good voice and is very capable of a cappella.”
That’s a new subscriber for sure.
A tall Zulu migrant worker named Solomon Linda was responsible for this 81 year old song. You read that right. It’s a bit of a story with controversies involved. Linda had a knack for catchy melodies and his awesome falsetto was a gift most men would envy.
Easy for Anne here. Backup vocals to falsetto, she takes a beloved song and adds her own little charm to it. All she had to do was smile at the camera and her sparkling eyes did the rest. The voice is a given.
A viewer named Herb added,
“This brings me simple, unmitigated joy, and the world needs more of that right now. Thank you.”
That’s the magic of music, isn’t it?
So if you’re in a jungle near a peaceful village, try not to make noise. There’s a lion sleeping. And you don’t want to wake one up. Just slip a pair of earphones on and let Anne’s euphoric singing take you away.
She’s got many other covers and original songs so that should last you a few hours.
It was actually called “Mbube” by Solomon Linda. The original one from which all the other versions of “The lion sleeps tonight” sprang from. And it’s a treat to listen to. Anne could record herself blending in with this. She’s fantastic!
Aside from Disney’s film version, perhaps it is The Tokens‘ rendition that people remember most.
Anne Reburn’s a cappella does impress more. No instruments here. Just her voice singing different parts and octaves. How many people can do what she just did? Not many artists can either.
Anne’s rendition can be played below for your own listening pleasure!
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