Soweto’s ‘Lion King’ on his return for Mufasa

AFP A close-up photo of South African composer Lebo M, who is wearing glasses.

South African composer Lebo M, renowned for creating the distinctive opening chant of The Lion King’s Circle of Life, rose from his life in exile in the US to legendary status and is now back with his signature sound for the latest instalment in the franchise, Mufasa.

His unforgettable Zulu cry, “Nants ingonyama, bagithi Baba”, meaning “here comes a lion, father”, is a stand-out moment in the original film.

Now, he is bringing his signature sound to Mufasa with a new song.

Directed by Barry Jenkins, the film serves as a prequel, exploring orphaned Mufasa’s journey as he faces hardships and tries to find his place in the world.

The story resonates with Lebo M’s own life.

Born in 1964, at the height of apartheid, the racist system of oppression in South Africa, he grew up in Soweto, a black township on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

He told the BBC Africa Daily podcast that he came from “the poorest neighbourhood and the poorest family”.

Listen to the Lebo M interview on Africa Daily podcast

But despite the circumstances he was born into, his talent and love for singing was apparent.

In 1979, at 16, he was forced into exile after travelling to neighbouring Lesotho to perform. He had gone without an ID or passport and was denied re-entry to South Africa.

He settled in Lesotho for a while before moving to the US to attend school and later settled in Los Angeles.

This is where his career skyrocketed and his Lion King journey began.

Lebo M said he is proud he contributed to a project like the Lion King, “that represents Africa in the highest quality” and considers it one of his great successes.

Lebo M and John Kani, who plays Rafiki, at the South African premiere of 2019 remake of The Lion King

Getty Images Composer Lebo M, wearing a dark suit and white shirt, and actor John Kani, wearing a tan suit on the red carpet for Lion King. — Lebo M and John Kani, who plays Rafiki, at the South African premiere of 2019 remake of The Lion King

But despite being a “major part of the original DNA” of The Lion King by conceptualising and composing the music, Lebo M feels he has not received as much financial success from it as some of his peers, largely due to his background.

“I’m forever a refugee, I’m forever an immigrant from Africa even in the business room,” he told the BBC.

He said at the time he did not have lawyers to ensure he got his fair share.

Even now, three decades deep into his career, Lebo M said he often finds he is the only black person in the room.

“I don’t think it’s because of tokenism,” he explained, adding that his experience speaks for itself.

In addition to working on The Lion King franchise, he has also composed music for The Woman King, The Power of One, and Congo.

“I don’t feel unwelcome, I don’t feel intimidated, I don’t feel like I don’t belong. But I know if I didn’t do what I do I wouldn’t be in that setting,” he said.

Despite growing up under apartheid, and being affected by racist ideology, he said he never experienced direct racism until he got to the US.

“I was born into apartheid. That means, I don’t know what it is like to be in a ‘multiracial environment’ until I got to America,” he said.

Now 64, Lebo M reflects on his legacy and the lessons he learned from the musical legends he met during his exile, like Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba – two pillars of South Africa’s musical history.

He shared that despite their immense success, their financial legacy did not match their global stature, especially toward the end of their lives.

This is a common thread among many African musicians who, unfortunately, died poor.

Although he has learned from their mistakes, he acknowledges that success is not just about commercial gain, but about “personal fulfilment,” which he has found with the Lion King.