Yet, despite the controversy that surrounded them, and the fact that their work was interrupted at its peak, the Weavers managed to alter popular culture in about as profound a manner as any artist this side of Bob Dylan - indeed, in setting the stage for the 1950s folk revival, and indirectly fostering the careers of the Kingston Trio, among others, and bridging the gap between folk and popular music, and the topical song, they helped set the stage for Dylan’s eventual emergence. The quartet went from being embraced by the public, and selling four million records, to being reviled and rejected over the political backgrounds of its members, and disbanding after only four years together. How could a song as pleasant and tuneful as “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine” be subversive? More than 50 years after their heyday, however, their origins, the level of their success, the forces that cut the group’s future off in its prime, and the allure that keeps their music selling are all difficult to explain - as, indeed, none of this was all that easy to explain at the time. The Linda family also claims damages against Nu Metro Home Entertainment, the David Gresham Entertainment Group and David Gresham Records, and is seeking an order to restrain the companies from continuing to use the song.The Weavers had the most extraordinary musical pedigree and pre-history of any performing group in the history of folk or popular music. Pretoria High Court judge Hekkie Daniels dismissed Disney’s urgent application to cancel a court order that 240 of its trademarks in South Africa, including Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, be sold to collect damage money.
7, Disney lost a bid in the Pretoria High Court to set aside the lawsuit, paving the way for lawyers repping Linda’s estate to continue with the royalties infringement claim. When Linda died in 1962, he had less than $25 to his name, and his still-impoverished family, which lives in Soweto, is suing Walt Disney Corp. The song has been adapted and recorded by more than 150 artists, translated into several languages and featured in many stage musicals and films, most notably Disney’s 1994 blockbuster pic “The Lion King.” Once the deal is signed, Linda’s heirs will receive the full amount, estimated at 20,000 rands ($3,125) a year. But these payments did not amount to the full composer’s royalties due, Dean said. Since then, his family has been receiving royalty payments of 12.5% of “Wimoweh’s” overall earnings. In 1971, the company acknowledged the song was based on Linda’s original work. Dean said TRO thought the tune was a traditional Zulu folk song, its author unknown, so it paid royalties to the Weavers. Howie Richmond, TRO’s founder, signed folk group the Weavers to record a version of “Wimoweh” around 1951 that rose to No. Folk singer Pete Seeger came across the song in 1949, transcribed it and called it “Wimoweh,” from the Zulu “uyiMbube,” which means “he is a lion.” Linda was a poor Zulu migrant worker and local black township musician who composed the song in Johannesburg in 1939 and recorded it with a group called the Evening Birds.
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