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STAGEBILL SPOTLIGHT

CIRCLES OF SOUND

Grammy Award-winning composer Lebo M left his native South Africa with little more than a rich musical heritage and an urge to share it. Now he's encircled [[italics]] The Lion King [[/italics]] with a bright aural savanna of sound. ALYSON DUTCH catches up with one of the musical's indispensable collaborators.

[[image: black and white image of Lebo M ]]
"Success is measured in happiness."
-Lebo M

The Lion King is an African story that happens to parallel my own life," says South African musician Lebo M. "Young Simba's loving education from his father, his rebellion, and his eventual struggle to regain a foothold in his native land were very familiar to me. That provided my work with a very personal element."

As he did in the movie, Lebo M plays a central role in bringing the lilting voices and earthy tones of African song to the stage version. With a company including singers from his homeland, the production pulses with an authentic, unmistakably African passion.

Born Lebo Morake 31 years ago in Soweto, South Africa, the ambitious musician left school and started performing at age 9. By 13 he became the youngest nightclub singer in the city, inspired by Zulu songs, particularly those sung by the diamond-mine workers. Yet Lebo always dreamt of making his musical mark in America. "American jazz and R&B were very popular in my country," he says with a smile. "I loved Marvin Gaye and the Commodores, and my father could sing any Louis Armstrong song."

Lebo began a self-imposed exile at the age of 15, when he left his family and country. With help from Lesotho's ambassador to the U.S., Lebo enrolled in and graduated from Washington, D.C.'s Duke Ellington School of Music. In 1983, he moved to Los Angeles, supported himself with odd jobs, and tried to break into the music scene.

Before long he was working with members of Earth, Wind & Fire. But his big break came when he was asked to assemble an African choir for the Oscar telecast in support of Cry Freedom's Academy Award nomination. Challenging projects followed, including the national tour of the stage musical Sarafina. His run of success culminated with a Grammy Award

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