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From refugee to global icon, Lebo M's journey culminates in much-anticipated South African tour

From refugee to global icon, Lebo M's journey culminates in much-anticipated South African tour
Lebo M’s upcoming tour will feature special guest artist, the Ndlovu Youth Choir, alongside other global performers like the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. (Photo: Supplied/On-Point PR 2024)
Kara le Roux
By Kara le Roux
6 Dec 2024
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South African composer and producer Lebo M is set to return to Cape Town for his first live performance on home grounds in April 2025. Known for his contributions to The Lion King, he spoke to Daily Maverick about his journey from Soweto to global fame.

There is a captivating rhythm to the way Lebohang Morake speaks about his life’s work — a rhythm as poetic as the music he’s brought into the world. 

Known globally as Lebo M, the Soweto-born composer famous for writing and performing the opening Zulu chant ‘Nants’ Ingonyama’ in The Lion King, is preparing for a milestone that brings his career full circle: his first live show on South African soil. 

Scheduled for April 2025, the tour announcement coincides with the 30th anniversary of The Lion King’s release — a fitting homecoming for the Grammy-winning artist who has carried Africa’s heartbeat to the world stage. 

Starting in the ‘D-team’ 


Lebo M recalls walking into a studio about three decades ago to record a demo for a then-unknown Disney film. This moment changed everything for him. 

“I got called in two months later,” he says, “and got hired because of that demo.” That project turned out to be The Lion King, and the rest, as they say, is history. 

'Everything has come full circle,' says Lebo M, reflecting on his milestone year. With his 60th birthday and The Lion King’s 30th anniversary this year, he says that everything has aligned perfectly for his return to South Africa. (Photo: Supplied / On-Point PR 2024)



Artist Lebo M. (Photo: Supplied)



Yet, as he reveals, the film’s success was far from guaranteed. 

“Nobody ever expected The Lion King to be successful,” Lebo M admits. “Disney was geared towards Pochahontas. The Lion King team was the D-team, downstairs, next to the reception.” 

He explains that it was this lack of pressure that allowed for “creative evolution in a very natural and organic way”. The film, with its iconic score co-composed by Lebo M, Elton John, Hans Zimmer and Tim Rice, has since become a cultural touchstone. 

A soundtrack for South Africa’s soul


For Lebo M, the film’s music was not just a professional achievement; it was deeply personal. 

“Working on the movie from 1992, our country was entering a transition,” he says. “All the lyrics I wrote were inspired by the dreams and hope of all South Africans for when Mandela became president.” 

The parallels between the film’s narrative and South Africa’s history are clear to him. 

“The battle between the good and the bad, between Mufasa and Scar, which is coming from the battle between apartheid and the new dispensation,” he says. 

The Lion King’s music he composed was deeply influenced by South Africa’s democratic transition in the 1990s, says Lebo M. As he worked on the movie, the emotional relevance of the country’s changing landscape inspired his lyrics and arrangements. (Photo: Supplied / On-Point PR 2024)



Lebo M’s upcoming tour will feature special guest artist, the Ndlovu Youth Choir, alongside other global performers like the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. (Photo: Supplied / On-Point PR 2024)



When he thinks of the feeling behind the film, it resonates with his own life’s journey. “I left (South Africa) to become a refugee, Simba also left his home. Mufasa became like Mandela to me and Scar represented the system of apartheid.” 

Everything that came out of The Lion King, he felt, mirrored his own struggles.  

Now, 30 years later, Lebo M is ready to celebrate his journey on a home stage. Starting at Cape Town’s Artscape Theatre from 11 to 13 April 2025, the world tour promises a blend of nostalgia and innovation. 

He says that classic hits will be featured alongside new material. 

“I have great anticipation because this is a childhood dream,” he says. 

Collaborating with the Ndlovu Youth Choir, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, and a host of other emerging talents, the show promises to be a multi-generational celebration. 

His daughter Refilwe will be one of the featured artists sharing the stage with him — adding another personal touch to this project. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htuTR3FPo_w

The world tour is not the only way Lebo M is marking this milestone year. In December 2024, a new prequel to the original movie, called Mufasa: The Lion King, will premiere. Lebo M is the only returning composer from the original film for this movie. 

A documentary and a biography are also slated for release in 2025, offering viewers a glimpse into his life and creative process. 

According to Lebo M, these projects are an opportunity to reflect on the strength that has defined his journey. 

“I left South Africa without a passport or ID,” he recalls. “I come from a country and a people that are resilient, they’ve survived it all. I think I’ve inherited that in a way.” 

At 60, Lebo M shows no signs of slowing down. 

‘A dreamer, a hustler’


“There’s no such thing as success — there’s only a perception of success,” he says. “I’m a dreamer, a hustler. When you stop dreaming, you’re basically dead and I don’t want to die,” he says.

This philosophy drives his creative evolution. “Remain authentic,” he advises. “If I wasn’t authentic in The Lion King, I don’t think I would’ve had a career today.” 

Performing in his home country for the first time has Lebo M feeling both excited and, in his words, “freaking frightened”. 

The nerves come from his desire to present a performance of the highest quality. 

‘We thrive on excellence’


“We thrive on excellence and the highest quality possible,” he says. 

With songs like Nguwe, written for Lebo M’s mother in isiXhosa, the 2025 performance will also offer an intimate, emotional experience. 

“We know we are creating something completely new,” he says. “We have to recreate some of the great hits and mix those with new material.” 

Taking risks like these have helped Lebo M to grow as an artist. 

“I’ve never stretched myself to the maximum as I have now,” he says. 

As the countdown begins to April 2025, one thing is clear: Lebo M’s story is far from over. 

“This year has brought everything full circle,” he says. “My mother turned 100, I turned 60, and it is 30 years of The Lion King. Everything has come full circle to come home.” 

For fans and newcomers alike, the tour is an invitation to experience the heartbeat of African rhythms reimagined in a new generation. 

“My music is, and always will be, rooted in home soil,” he says. “And I couldn’t be more excited.” DM 

Tickets for the Cape Town show go on sale 9 December 2024.

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