Lebo M.

Lebohang Morake

Lebo M. is known as the “voice and spirit of The Lion King”. Once a teenage singer in Soweto, the GRAMMY® Award winner and Tony® nominee’s music brings audiences to tears with hauntingly inspiring African rhythms and melodies. Lebo’s talents have been hailed by the worldwide press in superlatives that might describe the most delightfully poetic of musical deities. Since his arrival in America, Lebo has attracted music industry giants such as Quincy Jones, Jimmy Cliff and Hans Zimmer as mentors, allies and collaborators. Lebo has performed and produced four albums, Rhythm of the Pride Lands (Disney), Deeper Meaning (Gallo) and The Lion King (Japanese and Hamburg cast recordings). Other credits include The Power of One, Back on the Block and Listen Up with Quincy Jones; the feature films Outbreak (Warner Bros.), Congo (Paramount) and Born to Be Wild (Warner Bros.); he is the composer and co-producer of The Legend of Tarzan theme song, “Opar”; and the Disney television special People. He has performed on the Academy Awards® and the Essence Awards Show, with Vanessa Redgrave at Kthimi-The Return in Kosovo, and been honored by Artists for a Free South Africa.

Date of Birth: July 11, 1964 (61 years old)

Birthplace: Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa

Occupation

• African vocals performer
• Songwriter/producer/arranger

Instrument: Vocals

Relatives

• Boiki Morake (father)
• Nomvula Morake (mother)
• Tshepiso E. Morake (brother)
• Viveca Gipson (1st ex-wife)
• Nandi Ndlovu Morake (wife)
• Z. Naledi Morake (daughter)

Nthabiseng, and Refilwe Morake (daughter)

Motion Pictures (My List)

Music Department

1994: The Lion King — African Vocal Solos and Improvisations, Choral Arrangement and Conducting

1998: Mighty Joe Young — Choir Direction and Arrangements

1999: Tarzan — Vocal Contractor (uncredited)

2000: Dinosaur — Choir Conductor and Additional Vocal Arrangements

2004: The Lion King 1½ (video) — Vocal Score and Lyrics

2004: One by One (short) — Music Arranger/Producer and Lead Vocal Performance

2005: Tarzan II (video) — African Chorus Arranger/Producer and Vocal Contractor, Johannesburg

2019: The Lion King — African Vocal and Choir Arrangements Creator/Producer, African Music Consultant

2024: Mufasa: The Lion King — Choral Conductor

Composer

2004: One by One (short)

Recommendations

1992: The Power of One

1995: Congo

2016: The Legend of Tarzan

Albums (My List)

1995: Rhythm of the Pride Lands

Theatre

Broadway

1997–present: The Lion King — Additional Music & Lyrics, Additional Vocal Score, Vocal Arrangements and Choral Director

Collaborators

• Marlon E. Espino
• Bruce L. Fowler
• Nick Glennie-Smith
• Don L. Harper
• Elton John
• Mark Mancina
• Dave Metzger
• Tim Rice
• Jay Rifkin
• Julie Taymor
• John Van Tongeren
• Hans Zimmer

Awards

1995: Grammy Award — Winner for Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocals (Circle of Life)

1998: Tony Award — Nominated for Best Original Score (The Lion King)

2005: Annie Award — Nominated for Outstanding Music in an Animated Feature Production (The Lion King 1½)