With two-lifetime achievement awards under his belt this year, Grammy award-winning South African musician and The Lion King composer Lebo M speaks to FORBES AFRICA from Los Angeles on what actually set the tone of his musical journey.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“As a young man, you would think I would be nervous or apprehensive. But I&#8217;m glad I was not. I was hungry. I was ready. I was doing an assignment that came by default. I was just looking forward to getting paid, honestly.”</blockquote>



It’s 1AM in Los Angeles and Lebo M is in front of his laptop speaking to FORBES AFRICA with an upfront confession: “Just bear with me, I am not very good at interviews.”



For a man who has enthralled thousands on stage for live performances for over 40 years, this is an unlikely opening.&nbsp;



And the 57-year-old Lebohang ‘Lebo M’ Morake reaches out for the ocne thing that will kick-start this interview – much as it did his career.  



He carries his laptop to the kitchen counter and makes himself a hot cup of coffee.&nbsp;



Whilst we shall soon dwell on the association between coffee and this connoisseur of music, Morake starts by talking about his life in Los Angeles, where he is now located for work reasons. After many months in lockdown in South Africa, this has been a welcome change.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“The journey of Simba who grows up in exile is the journey of Lebo M who grows up in exile. I didn&#8217;t grow up to become a king like Mufasa but my biggest project is The Lion King, whose storyline became very personal to me.” </blockquote>



“Don’t get me wrong,” he says. “I like being here in Los Angeles. I haven’t left home [in South Africa] since Covid (lockdown), so I am getting my groove back. From all the lack of traveling, my body went into shock. For over 25 years, I used to go from one place to another every two-three months. And I&#8217;ve been on shutdown.” &nbsp;



Currently, Morake is working on two international movie projects awaiting release in November, and he can’t divulge more details yet.



There is another reason he has been in the news. Recently, he was recognized with two Lifetime Achievement Awards.  



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/thumbnail_image003.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-53044" width="381" height="571" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/thumbnail_image003.jpeg 427w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/thumbnail_image003-200x300.jpeg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 381px) 100vw, 381px" /></figure></div>



“My first Lifetime Achievement Award was absolutely amazing. It was an experience with Mzansi Magic. But the South African Music Awards’ Lifetime Award became very personal and very special. Because basically, I don&#8217;t want to use the word ‘validates’, but it says my peers acknowledge me specifically in the music business – holistically and all. I cried a few tears for this one,” he says. &nbsp;



You would think ‘a lifetime’ of working would slow Morake down. It’s quite the opposite actually. Besides the films in Los Angeles, his new reality show Coming Home recently released on Mzansi Magic and Showmax.



We ask the musical legend: “To what do you owe your success?”&nbsp;



Morake laughs stirring his hot beverage. “Wait, that&#8217;s the first question and it’s so difficult. I haven’t even had my first sip of coffee. I thought you were going to go easy on me.” &nbsp;



He takes a deep breath, sips his coffee and despite the poor quality of the Zoom video call, you can see him almost smirking as he thinks of what to say next. &nbsp;



“For me, being South African, my ‘South African-ness&#8217; is the epitome of the essence of who I am as an artist,” he says, “I am so passionate about who I am and where I come from.” &nbsp;



Born in Tladi, in one of Gauteng&#8217;s biggest townships, Soweto, Morake&#8217;s journey into music began almost 43 years ago when he left school with no formal musical training and began working at The Pelican.



According to MusicInAfrica, The Pelican nightclub is an “icon in Soweto&#8217;s vast cultural and musical history”. It also forms part of Soweto&#8217;s political history which has seen talents such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Abdullah Ibrahim perform on The Pelican stage. &nbsp;



&#8220;My first ‘quote unquote’ job as a professional at age 14 was at a highly-advanced institution or nightclub called The Pelican which was the best in the country, showcasing their best talent,” Morake recalls.&nbsp;



“I consider myself to be a part of the transition generation because even from a young age, I was exposed to the industry.” &nbsp;



Morake recalls how magical the music scene was “back then”. It was not uncommon that a large number of musicians could not read or write music but were self-taught.&nbsp; &nbsp;



“When we emulated American music, whether jazz or RnB, there was always the age to want to be better than what we&#8217;re emulating, which from a creative aspect, was an amazing journey for young, aspiring artists.”&nbsp;



However, the downside, he says, is that his musical “elders” do not see the commercial and financial benefits of being great. &nbsp;



From being the youngest singer at one of South Africa&#8217;s biggest nightclubs to then having to go into exile at the age of 16, Morake never anticipated that the story of The Lion King would be closely related to the story of a young Lebo M. Before he could be associated with one of the biggest of movies that Disney produced, he would first have to get his big break.



Enter Power of One. &nbsp;



When speaking to Morake about this, he grins.



About 30 years ago, a young and impressionable Morake had walked into a studio hoping to work on a movie not realizing that it would instead set the tone for his musical career. &nbsp;



In his mid-20s, Morake was hired as a coffee guy or barista at the Hilton Rosenthal Studio in Berlin, Germany.



He was serving coffee at the studio named after the music pioneer, Hilton Rosenthal, who was also the late South African musical legend Johnny Clegg’s manager and producer based in Los Angeles. But Morake’s life was just about to change.



“And his friend Hans Zimmer came to see Hilton,” Morake explains. “And I suspect very strongly, he wanted to collaborate with Johnny Clegg, who was not in the country.&nbsp;



“Hilton then simply said to Hans ‘you must try this kid and go to the studio’.”&nbsp;



Morake sips his coffee, reminiscing.



“I guess, in his mind, I was going to translate lyrics, but I ended up co-writing, performing, arranging and flying [back to South Africa] to set up to record the entire soundtrack choir, and I fell in love with doing that soundtrack.”&nbsp;



Power of One was released in 1992. The soundtrack was co-composed by award-winning composer Zimmer. This soundtrack inspired Zimmer to compose Disney&#8217;s 1994 classic The Lion King, which Zimmer wanted Morake to be a part of.  



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/thumbnail_image002.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-53043" width="317" height="475" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/thumbnail_image002.jpeg 427w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/thumbnail_image002-200x300.jpeg 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 317px) 100vw, 317px" /></figure></div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“For me, being South African, my ‘South African-ness&#8217; is the epitome of the essence of who I am as an artist.”</blockquote>



“As a young man, you would think I would be nervous or apprehensive. But I&#8217;m glad I was not. I was hungry. I was ready. I was doing an assignment that came by default. I was just looking forward to getting paid, honestly,” Morake shrugs. &nbsp;



Multiple times, Morake has said that when it comes to the story of Simba (the main character in The Lion King), he felt as though it was a parallel journey for him.&nbsp;



“Literally, The Lion King film is as old as South Africa’s democracy,” Morake explains. “The journey of Simba who grows up in exile is the journey of Lebo M who grows up in exile. I didn&#8217;t grow up to become a king like Mufasa&#8217;s but my biggest project is The Lion King, whose storyline became very personal to me.”&nbsp;



When Morake was about 16 years old, he left for Maseru, the capital and largest city of Lesotho, with the intention to continue chasing his dream of becoming a musician. While there, he found that he could not return to South Africa, due to the apartheid regime, because he did not have a passport or any identity documents. &nbsp;



“Because of the power of the storyline, the characters were real human beings to me. Mufasa was Nelson Mandela. Simba was little Lebo to adult Lebo. Sarabi was Miriam Makeba. Scar was the apartheid regime,” he adds. “So, my lyrics and the melody for the soundtrack for The Lion King was inspired by the energy that was happening at home, and then I began going home while working on The Lion King.” &nbsp;



The Lion King in 1994 made $1.5 million in the opening weekend in the United States, which equates to over $2.7 million in 2021. Worldwide, the movie clocked in $986 million which today would be $1.71 billion. Morake took home a Grammy Award in 1995 in the category Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocals and also shared a Grammy with Zimmer for the song Circle of Life / Nants&#8217; Inginyama. &nbsp;



Other than Zimmer, Morake got to work with big names in the industry such as Sir Elton John and Beyoncé (in the remake and live action version of The Lion King, which was released in 2019).&nbsp;



But outside of that, he has also played a big part in uplifting aspiring musicians in the industry over the years. Many have said that he is a visionary and has contributed to opening doors for many South Africans. &nbsp;



&#8220;As an aspiring film and music scorer, I learned a lot from him without him even knowing who I was. He is the guy that hired me for The Lion King and introduced me to people like Hans Zimmer and more, and the movie world in Hollywood,” says South African actor, singer and performer Brian Temba, best known for his role as Simba in the musical production of The Lion King.&nbsp;



“He is unselfish and he gives opportunity when he sees potential. I was the first South African Simba to be on an international stage in The Lion King in the United Kingdom, because he saw potential in me and gave me an opportunity. I’ll always be grateful to him for opening that door for me.



“He always had a word of encouragement for us and of course his jokes&#8230; We don&#8217;t get to see each other a lot, obviously because he is a busy man. But when we hook up all over the globe, it&#8217;s always a great experience and such an inspirational occasion,” says Lucas Senyatso, the South African bass player for The Lion King, the musical. &nbsp;



Throughout Morake’s career, The Lion King has had a special place in his heart at every step of his journey. When he helped score the Tony-nominated The Lion King&#8216;s stage musical, he created new music and added pieces from Rhythm of the Pride Lands.&nbsp;



“You can’t say I am a jazz artist or a hip hop artist. My work is quite different. My genre of work is highly unusual for a black South African, particularly and especially in South Africa. But I&#8217;ve noticed around the world the idea that my work and career shaped itself this way is not a very usual thing for a South African township boy,” Morake concludes, finally downing his coffee and eager to get a few hours of sleep before another day of harmonic symphonies begin.&nbsp;

Screenshot 2021-10-19 at 16.59.40

The South African Composer With A Soundtrack Echoing Life

Some of the best looks in Beyoncé’s 2020 album, Black is King, have come from designers from the African continent. FORBES AFRICA seeks out Queen B’s top picks.



Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s brand-new new visual album Black is King that released on July 31 on Disney Plus, boasts an African touch, with many designers from the continent showcasing their work in it.



Out just a little over a year since the release of the live-action version of The Lion King where Beyoncé played the female lead, Nala, Black is King was originally filmed as a companion piece to The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack inspired by the movie, but the singer explains in a post on Instagram that the events of 2020 (specifically, the Black Lives Movement protesting police brutality in the United States) made the message in the film more relevant.



For the “passion project”, Beyoncé spent over a year filming, researching, and editing it as a love letter to celebrate the breadth and beauty of black ancestry.&nbsp;



“I believe that when black people tell our own stories, we can shift the axis of the world and tell our REAL history of generational wealth and richness of soul that are not told in our history books,” Beyoncé said in a post on Instagram.



Since its release, she has been praised for how she has celebrated people of color as a whole in Black is King through the representation of artists (like Pharrell Williams, Naomi Campbell and Lupita Nyongo), background dancers, and African designers. &nbsp;



To help enrich those visuals, Beyoncé’s stylist and wardrobe curator, Zerina Akers, made sure she found the right talent who would create looks that aligned with Beyoncé’s vision.



Akers wanted to reference different traditions, cultures and tribes but with a modern touch. Although she used a majority of black designers, such as Destiney Bleu and Jerome Lamaar, the stylist also sought the artistry of African designers.&nbsp;



One of those African designers is Lafalaise Dion, based in the economic capital of Côte d&#8217;Ivoire, Abidjan, who designed the shell headpieces seen throughout Black is King.



“Although I had a big vision for [my work], and the faith that I’d be able to take it far beyond Côte D’Ivoire, I never imagined I would get to this level in such a short time,” says Dion. “I am deeply honored, to say the least.”



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-5-1024x1009.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-48322" width="286" height="281" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-5-1024x1009.jpeg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-5-300x296.jpeg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-5-768x757.jpeg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-5-80x80.jpeg 80w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-5-600x591.jpeg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-5.jpeg 1125w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 286px) 100vw, 286px" /><figcaption>(Photo supplied)</figcaption></figure></div>



Known to her followers as the ‘Queen of Cowries’, Dion’s creations were closely aligned with Beyoncé’s inspiration for Black Is King: wanting black Africans to reconcile and embrace African heritage, culture, and spirituality.



“They are artworks in a way, a material representation of dreams I had way before I started the brand. I wanted to do something that emanated from African spirituality,” she says.



Dion designed over 20 pieces for the project and had each piece made by hand in collaboration with local artisans. A dozen of those pieces feature in a song in the film: Brown Skin Girl, My Power, and Water.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“I feel very grateful&#8230; It means a lot to a young African designer like me. It’s a sort of confirmation that my art has power and that many creatives around the world connect with it,” Dion adds.</blockquote>



The pearl and cowrie statement Lagbaja headpiece created by Dion and worn by Beyoncé in her Spirit music video retails at $270.40. Dion describes this particular piece as a “celebration of women as creative, divine, mystical, protective beings”.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-3-1024x1012.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48320" width="318" height="315" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-3-1024x1012.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-3-300x297.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-3-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-3-768x759.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-3-80x80.jpg 80w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-3-600x593.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-3-100x100.jpg 100w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/dion-3.jpg 1125w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 318px) 100vw, 318px" /><figcaption>(Photo Supplied)</figcaption></figure></div>



Senegalese-born designer and founder of Dakar Fashion Week, Adama Amanda Ndiaye, wanted to make sure Beyoncé was adorned in a yellow as bright as the African sun in Brown Skin Girl.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Oshun-Beyonce-Black-is-King.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48327" width="377" height="251" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Oshun-Beyonce-Black-is-King.jpg 1000w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Oshun-Beyonce-Black-is-King-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Oshun-Beyonce-Black-is-King-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Oshun-Beyonce-Black-is-King-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 377px) 100vw, 377px" /><figcaption>(Still from Black is King)</figcaption></figure></div>



“African fashion is for sure more out there now. As a designer and fashion entrepreneur, it’s always a pleasure to expand our brand name and vision. So being able to collaborate with an iconic superstar does help shine light on us and is uplifting,” Ndiaye says. &nbsp;



Coming from a West African country known as vibrant and colorful, Ndiaye emphasizes she wants nothing more than to “promote female entrepreneurship in Senegal and Africa”.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SKETCH-1012x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48329" width="281" height="284" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SKETCH-1012x1024.jpg 1012w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SKETCH-296x300.jpg 296w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SKETCH-768x777.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SKETCH-80x80.jpg 80w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SKETCH-300x304.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SKETCH-600x607.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SKETCH-100x100.jpg 100w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SKETCH.jpg 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 281px) 100vw, 281px" /><figcaption>Sketch by Loza Maléombho (Photo Supplied) </figcaption></figure></div>



“I feel great, of course, because Beyoncé is an icon not only in the music industry but also for the fashion industry,” she says.



Also basking in the glory of the success of Black is King is Abidjan-born designer, Loza Maléombho, who designed a piece dubbed by Harper’s Bazaar as one of the best looks in the visual album.&nbsp;



The graphic, black-and-white ensemble with gold hardware worn by Beyoncé in Already (part of the film) has received much praise from social media.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“I am grateful for the visibility&#8230; It happened with a spike of sales of well over 300%, which is why gratitude is a prominent feeling overall,” Maléombho says.</blockquote>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image0.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48324" width="457" height="527" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image0.jpg 555w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image0-260x300.jpg 260w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image0-300x346.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 457px) 100vw, 457px" /><figcaption>Jacket by Maléombho. Earrings by L’Enchanteur. (Photo Supplied)</figcaption></figure></div>



It’s not difficult to see where Beyoncé may have had her inspiration from to use Maléombho in this project, as former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland, who also featured in Black is King, had worn a Prussian-blue geometric structured ensemble by Maléombho in June 2019.



“The future of my brand is going to depend on the structure of the industry in Africa overall. Because with growing sales, I need to find solutions for sourcing and production. I don’t want to produce outside of Africa,” Maléombho adds.



She remains hopeful that even with Covid-19, it has provided an opportunity for the fashion industry in Africa to grow collective and collaborative initiatives.



“We [the fashion industry] are more connected, more communicative amongst ourselves. We are engaging in more conversations to find solutions for the future of our industry,” she says. “Africa has a young labor force capacity that if directed intelligently can help propel the fashion industry in the right direction.”



Maléombho’s piece in Already was paired with jewelry pieces created by L’Enchanteur. The mastermind behind this brand are the identical twins, designers Dynasty and Soull Ogun, whose accessories were also seen in the Mood 4 Eva part of the film. Though born in Brooklyn, New York, the twins say their pieces are inspired by their Nigerian and Caribbean heritage.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image1-1024x532.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48325" width="485" height="252" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image1-1024x532.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image1-300x156.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image1-768x399.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image1-600x311.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image1.jpg 1125w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px" /><figcaption>(Photo Supplied)</figcaption></figure></div>



“Our brand is a lifestyle that encompasses mysticism, science, fairy tales, and a lot of folklore. And this is inspired by our parents’ background,” Soull says. “My dad is Nigerian and his tribe is Yoruba and our mother is Caribbean from the West Indies&#8230; And we were born in Brooklyn, Flatbush. So there&#8217;s all of this mixture. And I think there&#8217;s like a little bit of folklore within that mixture for us.”



The twins created the pieces for Black is King and sent them over to Akers in 2019, unaware of when the film would come out and what pieces would be used.



The ‘unknown’ was the most exciting part of this process for the Oguns because when finally the project was released, they got to watch the final product for the first time like any viewer. The only difference was that not everyone who viewed it got to see how their jewelry was curated into multiple looks in the film.



And they are still in disbelief.



“It comes in waves for me. I was in the car the other day and a Beyoncé song came on and I was like ‘yo, there is this whole film and Beyoncé is really wearing our stuff’,” says Soull.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“When we were creating the work, I don’t think any of us anticipated the climate we would find ourselves in [the Black Lives Movement] but that being said, I think when we were creating these pieces, it feels like it was almost a foreshadowing without any of us knowing it.”</blockquote>



“With this visual album, I wanted to present elements of black history and African tradition, with a modern twist and a universal message, and what it truly means to find your self-identity and build a legacy,” Beyoncé said.



The ode to African fashion continues, transcending borders, even in these Covid times.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="370" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-48326" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image2.jpg 640w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image2-300x173.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/thumbnail_image2-600x347.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption>Jewelry pieces by L’Enchanteur (Photo Supplied)</figcaption></figure>

Untitled-1

King And Queen: Beyoncé Takes Africa To The World

Some of the best looks in Beyoncé’s new feature film, Black is King, have come from designers from the African continent.



Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s brand-new new visual album Black is King that released on July 31 on Disney Plus, boasts an African touch, with many designers from the continent showcasing their work in it.



Out just a little over a year since the release of the live-action version of The Lion King where Beyoncé played the female lead, Nala, it was originally filmed as a companion piece to The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack, but the singer explains in a post on Instagram that the events of 2020 (specifically, the Black Lives Movement protesting police brutality in the United States) have made the message in the film more relevant.



For the “passion project”, Beyoncé spent over a year filming, researching, and editing it as a love letter to celebrate the breadth and beauty of black ancestry. &nbsp;



“I believe that when black people tell our own stories, we can shift the axis of the world and tell our REAL history of generational wealth and richness of soul that are not told in our history books,” Beyoncé says in a post on Instagram.



Since its release, she has been praised for how she celebrated people of color as a whole in her visual album through the representation of artists (like Pharrell Williams, Naomi Campbell and Lupita Nyongo), background dancers, and black and African designers.



One of those African designers is Lafalaise Dion, based in the economic capital of Côte d&#8217;Ivoire, Abidjan, who designed the shell headpieces seen throughout Black is King.



“Although I had a big vision for [my work], and the faith that I’d be able to take it far beyond Côte D’Ivoire, I never imagined I would get to this level in such a short time,” says Dion.



Also basking in the glory of the recent success of the film is Abidjan-born designer, Loza Maléombho, who designed a piece dubbed by Harper’s Bazaar as one of the best looks in the visual album.&nbsp;



The graphic, black-and-white ensemble with gold hardware worn in the film has already become an iconic piece as it has received much praise from social media.



The ode to African fashion continues even in these Covid times. Watch this space for more.

dion 1

King And Queen: Beyoncé Takes African Fashion To The World

What happens when one of Africa’s global comedians meets an African global recording artist? African greatness, that’s what. Burna boy was interviewed on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, making it a proud moment for Africans world wide.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



South African born comedian Trevor Noah hosted Nigeria’s singer and song writer, Burna Boy on The Daily Show on Tuesday night.



Born Damini Ogulu, Burna Boy spoke about his recipe for Afro-fusion
music, performing at Coachella and producing his album African Giant.



In a video released showing behind the scenes footage, Trevor Noah
expressed his love for Nigeria.



“That’s the one thing I’ve always loved about Nigeria; it’s the love of
Nigeria from Nigeria. If every African could have that, ‘we love our thing’,”
Trevor refers to the zeal Nigeria has about their talent.



While at the show Burna Boy performed a medley of songs Ye and &nbsp;Anybody.



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Watch my brother <a href="https://twitter.com/Trevornoah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Trevornoah</a> and I on the daily show tonight @ 11pm EDT <a href="https://t.co/n1GFX5CeUJ">pic.twitter.com/n1GFX5CeUJ</a>&mdash; Burna Boy (@burnaboy) <a href="https://twitter.com/burnaboy/status/1161448269492494336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Burna Boy who is one of this year’s <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/30-under-30/2019/07/01/30under30-creatives-category-2019/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Forbes Africa 30 under 30 (opens in a new tab)">Forbes Africa 30 under 30</a> list makers made waves recently after releasing his much anticipated album earlier this year.



The album was released in July and includes hit songs like African Giant, Dangote, Spiritiual, and international
artists like Jeremih, Future, Damian Marley and Jorja Smith.



In the album categorized as afrobeats has some Fela Kuti influences, he
asserts himself as an African and conveys the message of how Africa should not
be marginalized.



“I am an AFRICAN GIANT and will not be reduced to whatever that tiny writing means,” he wrote on Instagram.



READ MORE | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="2010 all over again: a musical extravaganza to honor Nelson Mandela (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/arts/2019/02/11/2010-all-over-again-a-musical-extravaganza-to-honor-nelson-mandela/" target="_blank">2010 all over again: a musical extravaganza to honor Nelson Mandela</a>



The album was released a month after he won the BET Award for the Best
International Act at the end of June.



Already garnering thousands of listeners and viewers on platforms such
as YouTube and Apple Music, Burna Boy has teamed up with Spotify to launch Burna Bank.



Inspired by the artwork for the African Giant album, Burna Bank is, “the
installation features a unique ATM which will be dispensing custom, collectible
bills designed by Sajjad Musa. 



Each bill is inspired by Burna’s Nigerian roots, and his quest to call
out corruption and the disproportionate distribution of wealth.”



The Burna Bank is an ATM that distributes these notes and launches this
week making him one of the first African musicians to have his own currency.



<figure class="wp-block-embed-twitter wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Peak <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AfricanGiant?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AfricanGiant</a> levels: having your own currency 🔥. Check out <a href="https://twitter.com/burnaboy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BurnaBoy</a>’s ATM this week in NYC and RSVP to the launch right here: <a href="https://t.co/zkOJNWfIRr">https://t.co/zkOJNWfIRr</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BurnaBank?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BurnaBank</a> <a href="https://t.co/uaJCJgotjI">pic.twitter.com/uaJCJgotjI</a>&mdash; Spotify (@Spotify) <a href="https://twitter.com/Spotify/status/1161046142924328961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Another one of his wins this year was recording a song with Grammy award
winner Beyoncé, in a single titled Ja Ara
E as part of her The Lion King:The King
Album.



Burna Boy continues to prove he is a force to be reckoned with as an
African giant and continues to put the continent on the map.

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Burna Boy’s The African Giant Debuts On The Daily Show With Trevor Noah

Set in Kenya’s Hell’s Gate National Park, Disney’s animated film, The Lion King celebrates 20 years on June 15. The Lion King’s stage adaptation of the original 1994 film has grossed more than $5 billion across the globe. The original film is the highest grossing hand-drawn film in history.
It tells the story of Simba, a young lion who is to succeed his father, Mufasa, as king. But after Simba’s uncle Scar murders Mufasa, Simba is fooled into thinking he was responsible and flees into exile in shame and despair.
While growing up with two wastrels, Simba is given some valuable perspective from his friend Nala and his shaman, Rafiki, before returning to challenge Scar to end his tyranny.
The story is set in the kingdom of lions in east Africa, with influences from biblical stories of Joseph and Moses, as well as William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Though it has had great success, the production of The Lion King has also had its problems. A dispute arose between Disney and the family of South African Solomon Linda, who composed the song, ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’, originally titled ‘Mbube’ in 1939. In July 2004, the family filed a lawsuit for $1.6 million in royalties from Disney. Two years later, Linda’s heirs reached a legal settlement with Abilene Music who held the worldwide rights and licensed the song to Disney.
In 1997, three years after the release of The Lion King, Walt Disney produced the musical stage adaptation of the same name, with the first show in Minneapolis in the United States. The musical went on to become one of the most successful in Broadway history and is still running across the globe to this day.
Britain’s stage production of The Lion King casts a huge number of South Africans. In the current run, 25-year-old Nicholas Nkuna is wowing audiences as the third South African to be cast as Simba, following Brian Temba and Andile Gumbi. Before heading to Britain to play Simba, Nkuna was the second youngest black Phantom in the musical The Phantom of the Opera.
“I auditioned for the show for two years and got a call back for the final in the third year. I went to Florida in America to do my final call back. Towards the end of Phantom, they rang me to let me know I got the job,” says Nkuna.
In July 2012, Nkuna moved to Bristol to start rehearsals for the spectacle.
Playing the lead is a huge responsibility and expectations are high. But as time went on, Nkuna says he eased into the role.
“It was incredible; it was eye-opening. The standard of performance is different, the preparation is different. With The Lion King, there’s acting, there’s singing and dancing and you also have the animal elements to it. So you’re half a lion, half a human,” he says.
“You need to learn how to move like a lion. It was interesting to do those workshops. We did Javanese movements. There’s certain cultural depth that they do that’s sort of similar to how humans would move animal-like.”
After two years of traveling with The Lion King, Nkuna has decided to end his journey as Simba to focus on his music and other business adventures.
But the show must go on. In March 2013, The Lion King was launched in Brazil and for the first time in Portuguese. It has been performed in six other languages. It has also been seen on every continent besides Antarctica.
The creators of The Lion King are probably sitting somewhere saying to themselves, ‘Hakuna Matata’, as the Lion King could enthral audiences for decades to come.
<h4>The Soul Of Simba</h4>
The opening scene of The Lion King is unforgettable. As the yellow African sun rises over the horizon, a Zulu voice cries ‘Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba’. It means ‘Here comes a lion, Father’.
That voice belongs to South African award winning musician Lebohang Morake, but to the world of arts and entertainment he’s known as Lebo M.
Morake grew up in Soweto, Johannesburg. From a young age, he started singing in a local pop band. In his first interaction with the music business he saw corruption. At the age of 12, he released his first single Celebration which received a lot of local success. However, Morake only received $20.
After finding success in Lesotho, Morake received a scholarship to study music in the United States (US). It was there that he met world-renowned composer Hans Zimmer. The two worked together on the score for the film The Power of One.
Years later, Hans Zimmer was hired to score the most successful animated movie in history, The Lion King. Zimmer wanted to make the music authentically African and there was only one person he had in mind for the job.
Zimmer traveled to South Africa to find Morake. The two returned to the US where they created a soundtrack to the film that won them numerous awards as well as a Grammy for best instrumental arrangement with accompanying vocal for The Circle Of Life.
Riding on the success of the film, Morake was then commissioned to write the music for The Lion King musical which instantly became a Broadway hit. Morake composed new songs for the production which went well with the music from the original movie.
It has become one of Broadway’s longest-running shows with productions in several countries around the world.
Morake’s original compositions and voice can be heard in a number of films including Chicken Little, Mighty Joe Young, Congo and Tears of the Sun. When you listen to Morake sing, you may not understand the lyrics but you will understand why everyone calls him the voice of The Lion King.

Tag: The Lion King

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A Roaring Success