We have not forgotten about Sundiata Keita. He was determined to walk and, miraculously, he did.
From the original animated film that debuted in 1994 to the 1997 Broadway musical performance, “The Lion King” remains one of the highest-grossing and longest-running shows in history. During his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, he built mosques in his wake and gave away so much gold that the price of gold was devalued for the next 25 years. The Mandinka people were taken over by the cruel and oppressive King Soumaoro Kante of the Sosso. We have merely chosen not to remember. As the movie once again captures the public imagination, it is time to use it as a way to take seriously African history, a topic that is sorely missing from our educational curriculum. When the king died, many suspected foul play. The continuing promotion of Western European literature, such as Shakespeare, has obscured our ability to see African narratives as equally significant. The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. With Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg. Editors’ Notes Perhaps. Though the king favored him, both Sogolon and Sundiata were mercilessly mocked for his disability. The Lion King captures just enough of the original's warmhearted excitement -- and introduces enough new delights -- to feel like more than a cynical Disney money grab. The Lion King Roaring onto dazzling 4K Ultra HD™ for the first time—celebrate the full glory of Disney’s magnificent coming-of-age masterpiece, The Lion King! On Thursday, Disney will rerelease “The Lion King,” entirely redone in photorealistic computer animation. THIS COMPILATION ℗ 1994 BUENA VISTA PICTURES DISTRIBUTION, INC. It’s the story of a disabled man who overcame tremendous physical and political challenges and triumphed by building alliances. Did Disney base its story on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, unaware of the epic of Sundiata that preceded the Shakespearean tale by nearly 250 years?
But what fans don’t know is that the story of “The Lion King” is not just a great story — it’s a true story. They aren’t taken as seriously as European rulers of the past such as Alexander the Great, King Richard the Lionheart or Napoleon, all of whom have become household names. Disney’s feline fantasy was also the first collaboration between Tim Rice and Elton John. Upon his victorious return, he adopted a new title for himself, “Mansa,” which means king or emperor in Mandinka. A study of precolonial African history would re-center our understanding of the past away from a skewed narrative about the supremacy of European rulers, one that limits our vision of the past and future. “The Lion King” is a powerful story of leadership, loss and redemption. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, Kellie Carter Jackson is an assistant professor in the department of Africana studies at Wellesley College and author of ", Discussion of news topics with a point of view, including narratives by individuals regarding their own experiences, Force and Freedom: Black Abolitionists and the Politics of Violence. While certain aspects of the story vary, the general narrative remains constant. Directed by Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff. Some may know of his great-nephew, Mansa Musa, who was the richest person to ever live in the history of the world. Portions of Hans Zimmer’s sweeping score round out the album with appropriately cinematic flair. When Marvel’s “Black Panther” debuted, conversations circulated about Afro-futurism and what life might look like in the future for black people. Jason Weaver, Rowan Atkinson & Laura Williams, Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin & Jim Cummings, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver & Joseph Williams, Joseph Williams, Sally Dworsky, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella & Kristle Edwards, The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Special Edition], Never Too Late (From "The Lion King"/Official Lyric Video), The Lion King (Original 1997 Broadway Cast Recording), Aladdin (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Jesus Christ Superstar (Original Studio Cast) [2012 Remastered], Beauty and the Beast: The Broadway Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording), Aladdín (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Original Broadway Cast Recording). As of 2017, “The Lion King” musical has grossed more than $8.1 billion. Tourman wanted the throne for himself. Accordingly, Konaté married Sogolon Kédjou, “the buffalo woman,” as his second wife. Fearful of an attack on their lives, Sogolon took Sundiata and the rest of her children and fled into exile, leaving a kingdom in disarray. It was prophesied that if he took on an ugly wife, she would give birth to a son who would become a mighty and magnificent king. In some ways, this history makes for a better story than what Disney concocted. Worse yet, the number one most naive question asked of Africans is always “Have you seen lions?” The success of “The Lion King” shows that too many people are content to see Africa without Africans, and black culture without black people. You are more than what you have become … remember who you are.” In history, forgetting is political. In exile, Sundiata built alliances with the king of Mema and other local rulers. Lion prince Simba and his father are targeted by his bitter uncle, who wants to ascend the throne himself. It’s a story of a mother who protected her family by fleeing to exile.
It was also corroborated by Tunisian historian Abu Zayd and Moroccan traveler Muhammad ibn Battuta, both of whom traveled to Mali about 100 years after Sundiata’s death to learn of the Lion King’s existence and reign. Why have these origins been overlooked?
1994 Preview Editors’ Notes Disney’s feline fantasy was also the first collaboration between Tim Rice and Elton John. Ironically, we would all do well to learn the invaluable lesson Mufasa was trying to teach Simba. Copyright © 2020 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. It’s about a kingdom in West Africa that eventually became the biggest and richest empire in history, as Sundiata’s reign witnessed dominance in agriculture, gold and trade, and introduced cotton and weaving. He ruled his empire, which expanded from the Atlantic coast all the way to the Niger River, from 1235 to 1255. He gathered an army to liberate the Mandinka people and overthrow the Sosso king. However, we don’t always have to look to the future. In a similar vein, many were unaware of South African Zulu singer Solomon Ntsele Linda, the original singer and songwriter of the movie’s classic song, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Linda was never compensated for his music nor acknowledged until recently, when the Netflix documentary “ReMastered: The Lion’s Share” investigated the history and the debt owed for Linda’s work. The familiarity of these rulers has mainly served to circulate the centrality and even supremacy of white European leaders. We can look at the past and present to imagine great African leaders. In need of their true leader, the people sent word for Sundiata to return and take his rightful place as the king.
But while Musa’s story is better known, the story of Sundiata’s reign is largely invisible in the West, despite the efforts of griots, or African storytellers, who have passed down the tale for generations. (The cast recording of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a particularly buoyant take on the Oscar-winning hit.) One day, Sundiata had enough.
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