It's all about the classical music composers and their works from the last 400 years and much more about music. Hier erfahren Sie alles über die klassischen Komponisten und ihre Meisterwerke der letzten vierhundert Jahre und vieles mehr über Klassische Musik.
... into English – and they’re not what you’d expect
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By Maddy Shaw Roberts
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It’s one of the greatest Disney songs in history, and Elton John and Lebo M. have just breathed new life into it. But what do the opening Zulu lyrics mean in English?
‘The Circle of Life’, the opening call in The Lion King, marks the moment the young Simba is held up by Rafiki for all the animals of Pride Rock to see.
And it perfectly sets the tone for the remarkable African-influenced score for the Disney classic. While ‘The Circle of Life’ is mostly sung in English, the chorus number opens with and is underpinned by a few memorable lines of Zulu.
“It was unusual for them to suddenly have an African voice over the opening titles,” composer Hans Zimmer told Classic FM at the film’s press junket in London.
Hans Zimmer on The Lion King score: ‘The death of a father needs a serious requiem’
Filmed exclusively for Classic FM.
So, what are the opening lyrics to ‘Circle of Life’?
The lyrics, written in Zulu and sung by the great South African composer Lebo M., read as follows:
‘Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba Sithi uhm ingonyama.
‘Here comes a lion, father, Oh yes it’s a lion. A lion we’re going to conquer, a lion, a lion and a leopard come to this open place.’
... that’s it.
via GIPHY
Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, who play Timon and Pumbaa in the remake of the Disney movie, rinsed the translation in a recent interview on Capital FM, Classic FM’s sister station, calling the lyrics ‘lazily written’ and saying they ‘weren’t hugely creative’.
They might have a point. Won’t stop us from singing along to it, though...
Eight years after popular jazz singer Amy Winehouse’s death, we enlist an expert to reflect on her powerful and frankly irreplaceable voice.
Amy Winehouse tragically died on 23 July 2011 at the age of 27.
The popular jazz singer shot to stardom in 2003 after her first studio album, Frank, was released and won her a raft of nominations and awards, including the Ivor Novello that year.
Winehouse was immediately distinctive, both in terms of music – in an era dominated by girl and boy bands hers was an incredible, authentic and big-selling jazz voice carrying the most original lyrics out – and style, with her winged eyeliner, beehive hair and growing collection of tattoos.
More than Frank, it was Back to Black that solidified Winehouse’s place firmly comfortably-alongside-but-also-outside jazz, and into popular culture and mainstream mass consciousness.
Tony Bennett with Amy Winehouse in 2010. Picture: Getty
Singles ‘Rehab’, ‘Back to Black’ and ‘You Know I’m No Good’ were among those that made her huge. Later came ‘Valerie’, the Mark Ronson-produced cover Winehouse did of Liverpool Indie band, The Zuton’s song in 2007.
What ensued for the singer was a life under the spotlight plagued by paparazzi chases, pressure from tabloids and fame shadowed by ultimately destructive behaviours.
Alongside all of this was, of course, that voice. It always came back to that utterly unmatched, rare and modern-yet-powerfully-nostalgic— jazz voice she had.
“The week before Amy Winehouse died, I heard Tony Bennett on the radio saying what a joy it had been to record with her, and acclaiming her as one of the finest jazz singers he’d ever heard,” Classic FM presenter and professional soprano Catherine Bott says. “He said he looked forward to future collaborations – but it wasn’t to be.”
Amy Winehouse performs live in London in 2008. Picture: Getty
Before her incredibly sad death, Winehouse performed and recorded with Bennett for his studio album, Duets II, which also happens to feature the most famous timeless voices you can think of, from Michael Bublé and Andrea Bocelli, to Lady Gaga and Norah Jones.
“Jazz wasn’t the repertoire I associated with Amy, back then,” Catherine Bott admits. “But thinking about it, Bennett was right: she had one of those voices that's instantly recognisable.”
Below, Catherine offers deeper insight into some of Amy Winehouse’s voice in some of her best loved songs.
‘Rehab’
‘Rehab’ was everywhere in 2006 and after. The massive track took Winehouse’s voice into the realms of mainstream pop/RnB and was an incredible display of powerful vocals and soulful expression.
“She made every note – every word – deeply personal in this song,” Bott says.
‘Someone to Watch Over Me’
From the power behind the opening ‘Rehab’ lyrics – “They tried to make me go to rehab / I said no, no, no” – Winehouse’s voice could go as vulnerable and soft as anything.
“In her cover of Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘Someone to watch over me’, the vulnerability in her singing is incredibly touching,” Bott tells us. “She is a great artist.”
Even though Winehouse’s voice evokes a nostalgic trad jazz feel, it’s as fresh and modern in this song as all of Amy’s work. Stunning.
‘You Know I’m No Good’
‘You Know I’m No Good’ is Amy’s jazz voice at its best married to the beats and edge of a modern banger – ooh, that catchy brass riff gets us every time.
Her voice carries all the wavers and jazzy grace notes we love. And then that emotion she packs. Just – wow.
‘Valerie’
Paired up with Mark Ronson and his band, Winehouse turned The Zuton’s soft indie rock ‘Valerie’ into a rhythmic and sultry, jazz-soul number.
If she wasn’t going to be remembered in music history forever (which of course she was – she sits in that rare category of modern genius never forgotten), she would with ‘Valerie’.
It’s tricky to find someone you say ‘Valerie’ to who won’t sing it in the Winehouse jazz version way sooner than they would the indie original.
How many albums did Amy Winehouse release?
Amy Winehouse released two studio albums: Frank in 2003 and Back to Black three years later in 2006. She also appeared on Tony Bennett’s 2011 Duets II and other compilations since.
How did Amy Winehouse die?
Amy Winehouse tragically died from accidental alcohol poisoning on 23 July 2011 at the age of 27. She was found at her home in Camden, London by her body guard, who was unable to rouse her from what at first appeared to be deep sleep.
She was a one-of-a-kind artist and we have no doubt we’re joined by jazz, pop and just universal music fans in general in saying we’re devastated we couldn’t hear more.s
Composed in 1830, this spectacular tone poem written by Felix Mendelssohn was inspired by his travels to the British Isles – particularly the island of Staffa on Scotland’s west coast, which is home to Fingal’s Cave. Written in B minor and originally titled Die einsame Insel (The Lonely Island), the concert overture is intended to set a scene for the cave’s unusual echoes. It consists of two main themes – the opening notes are initially played only by the violas, cellos and bassoons, suggesting solitude, while the second theme depicts the sea.
2. Seven Days Walking, Einaudi
Earlier this year, Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi unveiled his ambitious plan to release seven albums in seven months. He was inspired to create the collection, titled Seven Days Walking, after a walk in the Alps. It's signature Einaudi in terms of sound, and each selection of pieces portrays a different aspect of his wintery wander. Dreamy moments like a reflection of the moon on snow, and tracks left behind in the snow by foxes, are imagined in the music.
3.In the Hall of the Mountain King, Grieg
This orchestral masterpiece was penned in 1875 by Edvard Grieg as incidental music for Henrik Ibsen’s 1867 fantasy play, Peer Gynt. Enduringly popular, its stomping main theme – played by cellos, double basses and bassoons – is instantly recognisable and tells the story of the play’s lead character, Peer Gynt, as he sets foot in the mountain troll’s hall. Written in the key of B minor, this epic piece builds tension by starting in a slow tempo and gradually speeds up to a prestissimo finale.
4. Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony
A self-confessed nature fan and lover of trees, Ludwig van Beethoven liked to go walking almost daily – and many of his best ideas came to him during walks in the country, including his 'pastoral' Symphony No. 6. Completed in 1808, its five movements contain programmatic content intended to depict the rural surroundings Beethoven encountered on his walks – including a scene by a brook and a merry gathering of locals.
5.‘The Lark Ascending’, Vaughan Williams
This mesmerising piece of music was inspired by George Meredith’s poem of the same name about a skylark taking flight, and its song that could be heard during Meredith’s frequent strolls. Although Vaughan Williams wrote his first musical adaptation of the work in 1914 for violin and piano, he re-scored it in 1920 for solo violin and orchestra. This second version has become a classical music favourite and was voted No. 1 in this year’s Classic FM Hall of Fame.
6.Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons
Written in 1723, this majestic concerto is surely one of Antonio Vivaldi’s most famous programmatic works and each of its four movements corresponds to a different season. The Baroque composer liked to observe his surroundings while walking and translated this into beautiful music – highlights in The Four Seasons include high-pitched plucking from the strings to depict icy rain, while violas portray a barking dog in ‘Spring’.
7.Delibes’ Flower Duet (from Lakmé)
Premiering in Paris in 1883, this gorgeous duet for soprano and mezzo-soprano is taken from Léo Delibes’ stunning three-part opera, Lakmé. The duet takes place in act one as lead character, Lakmé, and her servant, Mallika, wander through the great outdoors and gather flowers by a river.
Love walking and helping others? This September Classic FM’s Big Walk is raising money for our charity, Global’s Make Some Noise. We're all getting out and walking to raise money, and would love for you to join us.
