Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) -- When celebrated film composer Hans Zimmer agreed to create the soundtrack for Disney's 1994 animated film "The Lion King," he knew there was only one person he wanted to work with -- South African singer and songwriter Lebo M. Award-winning Zimmer, whose illustrious body of work includes scores for mega-hits such as "Gladiator," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "The Simpsons," had already collaborated successfully with Lebo on "The Power of One," a 1992 drama set in South Africa. "By the time he [Zimmer] had committed to what became 'The Lion King,' there were other people hired that I replaced ... because Hans was reluctant to continue without me in the project," remembers Lebo.
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Lebo M conducted and sang on the movie The Lion King
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His arrangements won him a Grammy and he is currently working on his first ever tour
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The South African advises young people in the continent to embrace their identity
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"The African in you is your ticket to Hollywood," he says
"They looked all over," says @placeholder with a smile on his face.
More projects followed suit but in the early 1990s @placeholder decided to go back to his apartheid-free home country and reunite with his family.