15 “The King Is a Lion”

Deziderio’s remarks evoke the differences between the power of the king and the power of political leaders in the national government administration. By revealing the impact that he and his kingdom have had on the political landscape of Uganda, “The King Is a Lion” suggests that the current national government should permit the active involvement of royal politics in political decision-making. When Deziderio asserts that God ordained the king’s right to rule, he seems to be suggesting that the king’s rule needs no justification. That is, its justification is a transcendent assertion, proved by its natural existence. In comparison, the democratically elected governments of today demonstrate an extractive justification of power. They are only powerful if the masses deem them to be so, and the masses are only powerful to the extent that leaders allow them to be. This relation becomes tautological, as the powers that the leaders exert seem more theatrical, or performative, than real. Their orders become ways to garner the vote, to justify their own positions, rather than to have an impact. Without a higher purpose imbued in their power, it fails to reach beyond the circular relations that have made them leaders in the first place. Instead, it feeds back into the relations. They come to exert power for the sole purpose of ensuring that power remains with them, ensuring that they get the votes they need to maintain it.

This sort of power does not operate in the same way that power once did, as it exists almost exclusively in a realm of theatrics, of simulated power that players use to articulate certain figures—for example, casting some national politicians as the heroes of the people. The operation of these national government administrators is made possible by their alleged failure to recognize their responsibility to the masses they rule—that is, as individuals that “God has ordained” as the figureheads of the masses. Instead, such leaders exist as mere pawns in the larger system of power that presides over every mode of life. Thus, the power that they wield is not philosophically nor existentially “meaningful” because it only drives them to partake in self-serving activities. When we look at the interwovenness of the king with his kingdom, we understand that as is the case with the natural order, one would collapse without the other. This perfected dynamic, however, arises from a reciprocal reverence and love between a leader and the people.

Typical for performances featuring the tube fiddle, the only two components involved in Deziderio’s presentation of “The King Is a Lion” rendition are the solo instrumentation and the singular vocal accompaniment. The performance opens with the tube fiddle playing sharp, brief phrases in quick succession. The vocal accompaniment enters swiftly after, with Deziderio singing in an impassioned fashion and in high register. The instrumental and vocal parts both go through markedly different phases or sections throughout the performance, but their texture does not change. With minimal textural lushness, the performance emphasizes different lyrical themes, with Deziderio telling a story about the relationship between the king and his people. The lyrical content stresses both the mutual intimacy and the unquestionable power of the king, a balance that evokes agreement and respect. One of the most important aspects of kingship is the leader’s camaraderie, which court musicians have historically shared; this friendship yields the king’s respect and obedience of his subjects. Deziderio’s performance accentuates this blend of friendly praise and dutiful respect in the overall lyrics and mood of the song, which are cheerful and serious at the same time. For example, he repeatedly uses the word “comrade” to describe the king, each time with a passion that nearly strains his vocal cords.

Deziderio’s chant-like singing style not only is reflective of the strong emotions associated with the king’s authority but also evokes the reverence that the king’s subjects have for him and his eminence. During some passages, the performer’s voice stays monotonously at the same unwavering pitch, occasionally dropping down a few pitches. Other times, he begins his lyrics at the very top of his head voice, reaching high pitches that later drop down. This contrasting blend of monotony and urgency aligns with the portrait of the king’s power, which is ubiquitous and widely accepted but nonetheless striking and inspiring. This power, as portrayed in the lyrics, according to the singer, is ultimately justified by God and is evident in the natural world around us. Using animal imagery (the lion and the leopard), Deziderio conveys the idea that these power structures and the sanctity of leaders are inherent even in the laws of nature. His observance of the natural world makes these lyrics more universally applicable and relatable:

The lyrics of “The King Is a Lion” focus primarily on the king as a figure that subjects should revere and respect. However, from this reverence comes a familiarity. The song begins with a reference to the king, describing him as a “friend” and a “husband to all” (lines 2 and 9). One of the king’s many honorifics, a husband to all (bba bonna), reflects the close, almost familial relationship between the leader and his people, and it is the maintenance of this relationship that lies at the core of the Kiganda society. As the composition continues, it becomes clear that the singer’s camaraderie with the king is a crucial aspect of the leader’s greatness. This greatness is inseparable from his camaraderie with his people, a point that transitions into the other primary theme of the song: the notion that the king is not a leader to be trifled with, as obeying the king (line 5) naturally arises when the power dynamic between leader and subject maintains love and respect for each other. The singer further emphasizes this point when he clarifies that all who disrespect the king learn the consequences soon after (line 6). The statement speaks to the swift backlash that would result from the king’s supporters if one were to ever violate his trust. Indeed, the lyrical phrase “who will ever disobey him?” (line 5) is apt because the song enforces that no self-respecting person would do so. After sufficiently praising the king, the song transitions into a discussion of agreements (lines 23–34), emphasizing the long history of mediation in which the king has participated. It describes how the process of finding consensus and making accords is inherent in the kingship, as the parties who made such accords signed them during the reign of rulers from many generations ago. The song concludes by describing that these agreements reflect the greatness of the king himself, good for all who partake in them.