“The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, also known as “Wimoweh” or “Awimbawe”, is a a number one hit in the United States adapted in English by the the doo-wop group The Tokens from the song recorded by Solomon Linda with the Evening Bird in 1961. The song went on to earn at least US$15 million in royalties from cover versions and film licensing.

Originally written in the Zulu language, the song that would become “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” was recorded in 1939 as “Mbube” by Solomon Linda, which became a hit in South Africa. In 1961, RCA records hired a lyricist to convert the song into its final English form. The combination of mild rhythmic syncopation, westernized call-and-response chanting, and doo-wop elements propelled The Tokens to number one on the Billboard 100, and exposed American audiences in the 1960s to a more accessible form of African music. It probably found a new generation of fans after being featured in The Sandlot, and eventually The Lion King.