In 1939, South African singer Solomon Linda cut “Mbube” (Zulu for “lion”). Listeners were captivated by the transcendent falsetto, soaring over rolling, chanted bass notes, and the track became a hit in South Africa. Later, Pete Seeger recorded his own version, and "Mbube" went on to be interpreted by numerous Western acts, while the a cappella sound named after Linda's song thrives to this day.