Hakuna matata

For the song in The Lion King, see Hakuna Matata (song).

Hakuna matata is a Swahili phrase that is literally translated as "There are no worries". It is sometimes translated as "no worries", although is more commonly used similarly to the English phrase "no problem".

In culture

To many outside the Swahili-speaking world, it would seem that the phrase was first popularized by, and perhaps even invented for, the Disney film The Lion King. However, there have been previous examples of the saying breaking through to international cultures.

The 1980s song "Jambo Bwana"

In 1982, the Kenyan hotel band Them Mushrooms released the song "Jambo Bwana" ("Hello Mister") which became an international song. The song, written by band leader Teddy Kalanda Harrison, repeated the phrase "Hakuna Matata" in its refrain.

In 1984, German disco-pop outfit Boney M covered the song as "Jambo Hakuna Matata (No Problems)", released on the album Kalimba De Luna (16 Happy Songs With Boney M). Reggae singer Jimmy Cliff has also covered this song as "Hakuna Matata"

Bamse's introduction to Europe

The saying first appeared in Western cartoons in the Swedish comic book Bamse, created by Rune Andréasson, in the mid 1980s, where Bamse's baby daughter Brumma's first words are Hakuna Matata, which no one understands except Skalman. He made it his and Brumma's "secret" motto, and the phrase has reappeared several times in the cartoon.

Popularised worldwide by The Lion King

Main article: Hakuna Matata (song)

In Disney's 1994 movie The Lion King, a meerkat and a warthog named Timon and Pumbaa, respectively, teach a lion cub named Simba that he should forget his troubled past and concentrate only on the present. In reference to the two characters, the phrase had the added implication of a complete lack of ambition. Timon and Pumbaa helped young Simba and encouraged him to leave memories in the past and live for the present. This becomes a key phrase and a lesson learned from the movie. Timon and Pumbaa used the song "Hakuna Matata," with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, to teach Simba. It was nominated for Best Song at the 1995 Academy Awards, and was later ranked the 99th (out of 100) best song in movie history by the American Film Institute. The production team claim on the bonus features of The Lion King Special Edition that they picked up the term "Hakuna Matata" from a tour guide while on safari in Tanzania.

After

• A shortened version of the "Hakuna Matata" song was used for the theme song of the Timon & Pumbaa TV show.
• The "Hakuna Matata" song can be heard briefly in the 1995 Pixar film Toy Story, in which it was played on Andy's car while Molly sees Woody and Buzz Lightyear through one of the sideview mirrors.
• Bunny Wailer covered the song on Reggae for Kids: Movie Classics.
• In the Seinfeld episode "The Merv Griffin Show", Elaine says that she was caught in the office singing "Hakuna Matata".
• In the film Mouse Hunt, Ernie Smuntz (Nathan Lane) bows to a sheik who is seeking to bid for his home and greets him with the words "Hakuna Matata". This is a self-referential joke relating to the song from The Lion King, in which Nathan Lane played the voice of Timon.
• In the 2006 film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, when Jean Girard escapes a crash, he says, "Hakuna Matata, bitches!"
• In the Absolutely Fabulous episode "Schmoozin'", one of the characters sings "Hakuna Matata" while playing with the plush animal puppets.
• In the 2006 South Korean comedy 200 Pounds Beauty, Kang Han-na (Kim Ah-jung) often draws a sign claimed to symbolize Hakuna Matata for good luck in love.
• In the book Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Bridget's mom's Rotary club adopts Hakuna Matata as their motto.
• In the July 25, 2007 episode of Jeopardy!, "What is Hakuna Matata?" was the question for the Final Jeopardy answer.
• The phrase was used in the audio of a Pawan Kalyan-Trivikram starrer Telugu movie "Jalsa" by Sirivennela (composed and sung by Devi Sri Prasad).
• In the song "Dey Know Yayo" by Re-Up Gang on their 2008 mixtape, We Got It 4 Cheap: Vol. 3: The Spirit of Competition.