ReMastered: The Lion's Share

I had no idea how much history was behind 'The Lion Sleeps tonight' and its original Mbube. The roots of this and the history are quite fascinating and tragic. I found it remarkable how simple facts still had a complicated outcome. Solomon Linda wrote the song, the proceeds should go to his family. Ironic how laws and systems go against justice and reparations. A simple barter system of giving the loaf back to the person you took it from would yield a better result. Heartbreaking when others benefit from someone's work and they receive the short straw.

This is the second Netflix's ReMastered series I've watched. The first was the Johnny Cash story "Tricky Dicky and the Man in Black" which I gave 10/10 to, and I'd give this one 11/10 if I could.

Disclosure: I'm an acquaintance of Rian Malan and Rob Allingham (I'd like to say friend, but we only bump into each other irregularly) and only became aware of this fantastic documentary via finding the above one on Johnny Cash.

I'm also acquainted (not in a friendly way) with some of the executives and other shysters put in the spotlight here. As Rian explains, this is an ambiguous tale with no clear heroes (other than the deceased composer) or villains, so not an easy story in which to pick the goodies or baddies (except if, like me, you've had personal experience with some of these crooks, but even then we're talking generations down the line.)

Long story short, this is a documentary I can't recommend highly enough.

I watched this from start to finish. I'm actually disgusted with what 2 of the reviewers said. They have said that the daughters of Solomon Linda did things that they did not do. "In the end, the journalist discovers he's been duped, for all his ill-conceived intentions. Poor daughters? Nope. Just inheritance mongers off the blood, sweat and tears of others." NOT TRUE. "It's not a happy ending as the man who started the effort to right the wrong eventually comes to realize that Linda's family has not dealt honestly with him." Also NOT TRUE. It seems to me that the Linda sisters had the majority of their money stolen by lawyers. In the end, out of a large settlement from Disney, each of the 3 daughters received LESS than $250,000 over the life of the deal. The things these other reviewers said were not true, and were not in this documentary. Don't believe every review you read. I learned that tonight.

It's a play on words. The Sisters claim their father couldn't read or write. The documentary entertains us with the idea that Solomon Linda's signature on any contract or documentation found, was falsified by others.

It's an interesting documentary that is being marred by 'the blame game'. When things go wrong or don't work out the way we had anticipated, our thoughts become disenchanted. The journalist who wanted to right a wrong in South Africa became disenchanted because his 'Good Intentions' had dissisipated.

It could also be a case of 'Six Of One & Half A Dozen Of The Other' - ie: There are no winners or losers. Time-Spent', means no-one can really be blamed or held accountable for 'The Linda's' predicament & no-one can really lay claim to being the source of origination. The case has gone as far as it could without hearing from the man himself - 'Solomon Linda''. who is now deceased.

I think everyone got greedy on the premise that there was money to be made & a case to be answered - and maybe there is - just not now. The investigations reached a 'stalemate' in 2019.

Disney? Disney just 'settled' to relinquish & secure its future ties with other associates. In Movies, a Charles Dickens or William Shakespeare play gets to keep the same title if it's an adaptation of the original, but if it's a 'remake' or the character's are 'loosely based' on a Dickens or Shakespeare play, the title changes - I guess because of copyrights. In Books 'Reprints' can add, subtract or update info. In Technology 'Updates' can change the layout of a computer programme or change how it operates.

'Mbube'? 'Wimoweh? 'The Lion Sleeps? Title changes puts a whole new 'Spin' on authenticity.

If Owen Dean was not a professional in that area, why was he responsible for setting up that trust and who must have then advised him? Where was the government's invoice from Owen Dean Assoc. And the reciprocal movements? At the very least, what was the percentage of the settlement that was to be paid?

All these questions need to be asked and answered.

No trust in The Linda Sisters' name can be acted on without their full knowledge of the accounting. Hence not set up correctly and therefore never just. Pay up Disney.