Movie More than 52,000 people have now established an international petition was signed in which Disney is accused of falsely claiming the words hakuna matata. The expression – particularly famous by the hit film The Lion King – means in the African language Swahili ‘no worries’.
Disney bans all since 2003 that the slogan in America by others, is printed on clothes or shoes. Ridiculous, many people. The petition against the words Disney 15 years ago, officially as a trademark should be registered, is probably started because the company next year, a so-called life motion remake (computer animations in combination with real actors, ed.) of the original film The lion king released.
After that, a revival of the popular phrase ‘hakuna matata’ is expected. Companies in Africa may, as now appears, no clothing, with the two famous words in the US on the market. Firms in America may be that, provided they have the permission of Disney, though.
Disney is now accused of ‘colonialism and theft of the African expression. In the petition it is stated that the company never words can usurp that in a large part of East Africa is almost daily being spoken. Swahili is the national language of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Elton John
The expression ‘hakuna matata’ was in 1982, well known by the Kenyan band Them Mushrooms . Their successful single Jambo Bwana (translated: hello sir, red.) contained the two words. Later, up popped the phrase in the movie The Lion King (1994) that a hitmusical produced and grew into one of the most valuable franchises of Disney. The film included the song Hakuna Matata written by Elton John and Tim Rice.
According to African Shelton Mpala, author of the petition, makes Disney feel with the protection of ‘hakuna matata’ in the U.S. guilty of ‘unlawful taking possession of something the business has not created’. His position is followed by, among others, the Kenyan professor Kimani Njogu who have been fighting for the cultural and linguistic rights in his country. “What Disney is doing in unethical,” he told The Guardian.
The expression is popular in the whole of East Africa, where articles with the words, especially to tourists are sold. Njogu finds it ridiculous that Kenyan companies, their hakuna matata-the stuff not in the united states may sell. He has African governments now called Disney accountable on the mat to cry. “Our indigenous slogans should be protected. It can’t be that an American company makes money with what us is and always will be.”
Njogu wants African countries in the short term, their popular expressions to register. “Otherwise, the next time it wrong again.” Disney has not yet responded to the petition.
