John Katana: grudges Beyonce for ignoring Kenyan artists in Lion King
A Kenyan artist, John Katana is nursing ‘bad belle’ against Beyonce and Nigerian artists featured in her latest album, Lion King: The Gift.
Katana slammed Beyonce for not including any Kenya artist, though she said the album is a ‘love letter to Africa.’
Katana, who claims to have first popularized the phrase Hakuna Matata, spoke with TMZ.
Beyonce included Nigerian pop stars WizKid, Burna Boy, Mr Eazi, Tiwa Savage, Tekno and Ghanaian singer Shatta Wale. South Africans were also featured.
John said he is ‘puzzled’ that not one Kenyan artist made the cut on the soundtrack.
The album was inspired by a Disney remake of Lion King, in which Beyonce also did a voice-over.
Katana also said he is disappointed that no Disney representatives reached out to him or anyone else in his Chakacha Kenyan band, Them Mushrooms.
Last year, a petition was started for Disney to abandon its trademark over ‘Hakuna Matata’, as it’s a well-known Swahili phrase.
John used the phrase Hakuna Matata in his band’s ’80s platinum hit, Jambo Bwana.
Beyoncé had said about the album: ‘This soundtrack is a love letter to Africa, and I wanted to make sure we found the best talent from Africa, and not just use some of the sounds and did my interpretation of it.