Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen's legendary tune, gets a Zulu spin from a new vocalist

Queen's iconic rock ballad, Bohemian Rhapsody, gets its first authorized Zulu translation.

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2025 September 15 . 5:36 AM

2 min read

Queen's acclaimed song 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is re-imagined in Zulu by a new vocalist

Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen's legendary tune, gets a Zulu spin from a new vocalist

The Ndlovu Youth Choir, a choir hailing from South Africa's rural Limpopo province, has made history by releasing a Zulu-language version of Queen's iconic song, Bohemian Rhapsody. This is the first time the band has ever authorised a translation of the song.

The idea for an African version of Bohemian Rhapsody was born while the group was working in Tanzania. The translation process, which took years to complete, was overseen by Sandile Majola, a member of the choir, and Siyabonga Mthembu, the producer and musical director of the Zulu version.

The Zulu version of Bohemian Rhapsody incorporates African musical traditions, such as township styles like isicathamiya and the Congolese swing of kwassa kwassa. The expanded call-and-response sections are rooted in African performance styles, while some surreal lyrics, like "Galileo, Galileo!", remain in English.

For Sandile Majola, bringing the song to life in his own language gave it a whole new meaning. He had never heard of Queen or Bohemian Rhapsody before. The translation carried deep meaning for some members of the choir, particularly those who were inspired by Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, who was born in Zanzibar.

The music video for the Zulu version of Bohemian Rhapsody features the choir in vibrant traditional dress, celebrating a uniquely African take on the song. It is now available on YouTube. The Ndlovu Youth Choir is the first to commercially release a translation of Bohemian Rhapsody.

The choir gained international fame on America's Got Talent in 2019. The release of the Zulu-language version of Bohemian Rhapsody coincides with the 50th anniversary of the song. The band's surviving members and the Mercury Phoenix Trust gave their blessing for the translation. Ralf Schmitt, the artistic director of the Ndlovu Youth Choir, expressed hope that they have done justice to the piece.