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Lebo M

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Lebo M
Birth nameLebohang Morake
Born(1964-07-11)11 July 1964(age 59)
Soweto,Johannesburg,South Africa
Occupation(s)Producer, composer, arranger, performer
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1994–present
LabelsTill Dawn Entertainment

Lebohang Morake(born 11 July 1964),[1]known asLebo M,is a South Africanproducerandcomposer,known for his songwriting and vocal work on the soundtracks to films such asThe Lion King,The Power of OneandOutbreakand numerousstage productions.He was recommended toDisneybyHans Zimmer,the composer of both adaptations ofThe Lion King,and formed and conducted the African choir that sang for the films.

Early life[edit]

Lebohang Morake was born on 11 July 1964 inSoweto,Johannesburg,South Africa. With no formal training in music,[2]he left school at the age of nine to perform music in night clubs.[3]Morake recorded his firstsingle,"Celebration", when he was 13 years old, receiving only $20 for recording the record.[4]When he was 13 years old, Morake became the youngest performer to sing at the nightclub Club Pelican, when he filled in for abackup singerwho could not attend.[3][5]

Career[edit]

Early career[edit]

In 1979, Morake sought to broaden his horizons, so he left by bus forMaseru,Lesothoafter hearing that a new club was going to be opening there.[5]In Maseru, due to theapartheidsystem, he was under exile.[4][5]At 15, he was working as a singer in the Victoria Hotel in Lesotho when Lesotho'sAmbassador to the United StatesTim Thahane noticed him and appreciated his musical abilities.[4]Thahane helped Morake apply to theDuke Ellington School of the Arts,coordinating with theTransAfricaorganization to send the singer to theUnited States.[3][6]Morake lived at first in New York, again playing in restaurants and bars, and was supported by Black churches to attend music school.[5]Morake moved toLos Angeleswhen he was 18 to pursue a music career.[6]

Start in Hollywood[edit]

InLos Angeles,he struggled to make ends meet, working odd jobs to survive while studying atLos Angeles City College.[2][5]He performed sometimes at Memory Lane, anightclubowned byMarla Gibbs.[4]Morake was asked to help find achoirfor theOscars,so that they could perform music from 1987'sCry Freedom,a film about South Africa that was nominated for multipleAcademy Awards,including one forBest Original Song.[3]He made further strides in his music career when by chance, he ran into childhood friend Solly Letwaba, who was the bassist forJohnny Clegg.Letwaba introduced Morake to Clegg's producer, Hilton Rosenthal, who employed Morake as aninternandgoferfor his production studio.[5]Rosenthal was the music supervisor on the filmThe Power of One,and through him, Morake met the film's composer,Hans Zimmer.[2]After being asked about some ideas for the film's soundtrack, Morake ended up co-writing and co-producing the music forThe Power of Onewith Zimmer, helping to arrange the choruses.[4]Morake used his knowledge ofAfrican rhythmsto compose thesoundtracksto other films, such asCongo(1995),Outbreak(1995), andBorn to be Wild(1995).[5]He decided to return to South Africa in the early 1990s, after the end of apartheid.[2]

The Lion King[edit]

Morake wrote and sang the opening Zulu chant at the beginning of Disney'sThe Lion King,[7]for which he was sought by Zimmer.[6]He also contributed to the sequel to the film's soundtrack,Rhythm of the Pride Lands,and the film's direct-to-video sequelThe Lion King II: Simba's Pride.

The duo composed so much music that Disney approved of an additional soundtrack album,Rhythm of the Pride Lands,containing extra compositions.[3]The Lion King'soriginal soundtrack,with the compositions that had made the cut for the theatrical release, earned the two composers aGrammy Award,and Zimmer won anAcademy Award for Best Original Score.[3]Morake also helped scoreThe Lion King'sstage musical, creating new music and adding pieces fromRhythm of the Pride Lands.[4]The musical was nominated forBest Original Scoreat the52nd Tony Awardsin 1998.[8]

He founded the Lebo M Foundation and Till Dawn Entertainment.

On 23 July 2019, Morake performed 'Circle of Life' and 'He Lives in You' at the opening ceremony of the24th World Scout Jamboree.

Personal life[edit]

Morake wasmarriedto Viveca Gipson for 5 years. Hedivorcedher and married Nandi Ndlovu and they were together for 11 years. He then divorced Ndlovu and married Angela Ngani-Casara for five years, from 2008 to 2013.[9][10]Morake became engaged to Zoe Mthiyane but their relationship ended in 2016. He remarried his third wife, Angela, but they divorced again in 2017.[11][12][13]He lives with his family inJohannesburgand Los Angeles.[11] His daughter Refi is also a singer who often performs by his side.[14]In April 2021,[citation needed]Morake got engaged to partner Pretty Samuels, in 2023 he had presumably filed for divorce.[15]

Filmography[edit]

Lebo Morake has composed, arranged, performed and produced music for the following films:

Discography[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Works written by: MORAKE LEBOHANG".ACE Title Search.American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.Retrieved5 October2008.
  2. ^abcdPegg, Cameron (7 December 2018)."A strong voice, loud and proud".The Weekend Australian.Retrieved13 July2019.
  3. ^abcdefBarnett, Errol (16 January 2013)."Roaring success of 'Lion King' musician".CNN.Retrieved13 July2019.
  4. ^abcdefSmith, Shawnee (22 August 1998)."Lebo M Draws On Sounds Of Africa".Billboard.Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 32, 86.ISSN0006-2510.Retrieved13 July2019.
  5. ^abcdefgAllison, Simon (12 July 2019)."Lebo M on the Lion King, and his own circle of life".Mail & Guardian.Retrieved13 July2019.
  6. ^abc"'Lion King' Stage Score A Departure For Broadway ".Billboard.Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 14 February 1998. p. 67.ISSN0006-2510.Retrieved13 July2019.
  7. ^"Lebo M circles his Lion King life".The Mail & Guardian.12 July 2019.Retrieved16 August2020.
  8. ^"List of 1998 Tony Award Winners".Playbill.14 December 1998.Retrieved14 July2019.
  9. ^"'The M stands for marriage' – SA reacts to news Lebo M could wed for 5th time ".SowetanLIVE.Retrieved16 August2020.
  10. ^"Lebo M To Wed Again?".ZAlebs.Retrieved27 August2020.
  11. ^ab"LEBO M TO WALK DOWN THE ISLE AGAIN!".DailySun.Retrieved16 August2020.
  12. ^Carter, Logan (7 June 2020)."Lebo M Has Broken Up With His Fourth Girlfriend".South Africa's Rich and Famous.Retrieved27 August2020.
  13. ^"Lebo M reportedly set to wed AGAIN".All4Women.14 October 2019.Retrieved27 August2020.
  14. ^"Hollywood in Vienna".
  15. ^Keteyi, Oluthando(2 August 2023)."Lebo M to divorce his wife Pretty Samuels-Morake after a year of wedded bliss".News 24.Archivedfrom the original on 18 January 2024.Retrieved5 February2024.

External links[edit]

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