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France 24

Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody covered by Zulu choir

France 24 · New
France 24
France 24
New

A South African youth choir has translated and produced Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody in Zulu, with its own music video to match. But as Zulu songs are becoming more popular for international audiences, many African artists do not claim the royalties they are entitled to.

Breakdown
  • The Ndlovu Youth Choir translated and performed Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in Zulu.
  • Translating the song took over a year to ensure the lyrics' meaning was preserved. 14s
  • The adaptation includes Zulu language features like clicks and whistles. 45s
  • Queen granted the choir permission to perform the cover, but it cannot be commercialised. 1m 5s
  • Many African artists struggle to claim royalties, with over 15 million euros unclaimed in South Africa. 1m 50s
Music