A furore over Disney's trademark on the Swahili phrase Hakuna Matata heats up the cultural appropriation debate
HAKUNA MATATA.
Some of us might remember Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog singing this curiously titled song in The Lion King, the 1994 Disney blockbuster. As Timon explains to Simba the lion cub, it means no worries, summing up the motto of their carefree life. This wonderful phrase, as Timon calls it, was no Disney invention but was borrowed from Africa’s Swahili language. It’s a language that’s spoken by close to a 100 million people in over a half dozen countries in the continent. Yet, Disney thought fit to trademark the phrase after the popularity of the film and the song. If anyone could have done so legitimately it would be the Kenyan band Them Mushrooms which popularised Hakuna Matata in their 1982 hit song Jambo Bwana. But then, Them Mushrooms are artistes and do not possess the sharp business sense of US corporations.
Denne historien er fra January 16, 2019-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra January 16, 2019-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
