This archive report was first published on 18 July 2019.
Beyonce's Lion King Album Sparks Outrage in Kenya ¶
Grammy award-winning singer Beyonce has released her 14-track album, The Lion King: The Gift, which features collaborations with West African stars but surprisingly snubs Kenyan musicians.
According to reports, animators of the movie traveled to Kenya's Hells Gate National Park to get a feel for the 'great circle of life' that inspired the film. However, Beyonce's album fails to feature any Kenyan artistes, despite the movie's connection to the country.
Kenyan musician Victoria Kimani took to Twitter to express her disappointment, stating that the movie's characters, including Rafiki, Simba, and Nala, are Kenyan. She also pointed out that Disney would have featured Lupita Nyong'o or Barack Obama in the outro if they were to make a Kenyan soundtrack.
Kimani's comments sparked a barrage of angry replies from West Africans, with some questioning why Kenyan artistes were not featured in the album. Oyemykke, a Nigerian motivational speaker, lashed out at Kimani, saying that Kenyan artistes should focus on making quality music before expecting to be featured in international projects.
However, not everyone agrees with Oyemykke's sentiments. Nwanyi_Ukpor tweeted that Kenyans are already shining in international events such as the Lagos marathon and NatGeo Wild, and should be allowed to shine in peace.
As the debate continues, it remains to be seen whether Beyonce's decision to feature West African artistes but snub Kenyan musicians will have any impact on the music industry in Kenya.
