Lebohang Morake, known professionally as Lebo M, born July 11, 1964, in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, is a South African composer, singer, and producer. He left school at age nine to perform in nightclubs and recorded his first single, “Celebration”, at age 13, becoming the youngest performer at Club Pelican that same year. In 1979, he moved to Maseru, Lesotho, before relocating to New York to study at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts with assistance from Ambassador Tim Thahane. At age 18, he moved to Los Angeles, studying at Los Angeles City College and later assisting with choir assembly for the film Cry Freedom. Through producer Hilton Rosenthal, Morake met composer Hans Zimmer, co-writing and co-producing the soundtrack for The Power of One in 1992. He composed and performed the opening Zulu chant for Disney's The Lion King soundtrack in 1994, which won a Grammy Award in 1995. Morake also contributed to the soundtrack Rhythm of the Pride Lands in 1995 and helped score The Lion King stage musical, which received a Tony Award nomination for Best Original Score in 1998. In 2024, he joined the music team for Mufasa: The Lion King alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda. He also founded the Lebo M Foundation and Till Dawn Entertainment.
