68 |8 AUGUST^2019 http://www.drum.co.za

H

ECOUNTSJohnKan
asa lunchbuddy,con
siders Elton John
good friend,is on
first-namebasiswith
PharrellWilliamsand
feelslikehe’sknown
Beyoncéforages.It’s
beena quarter-centurysinceLeboM

shottofameforwritingandsingingthe
openingline– Nantsingonyamabagithi
(herecomesthelion)– ofTheLionKing.
TheSoweto-bornsinger,producerand

composerhasonceagainputhismagi-
caltouchtothesoundtrackofDisney’s
newcomputer-animatedremake.He’s

alsoteamedupwithBeyoncé,wholends
hervoiceasNala,forthesurprisetrack
Spirit.
Spirithasmovedaudiencesworldwide

• yetLeboisn’tblowinghisowntrumpet.
  “IhearpeoplesayingI’msuccessful,”he
  tellsDRUM.“I appreciatethesentiment,

butI amnowherenearsuccessful.
“I’llbesuccessfulwhenI havea com-
panythatownsandproduces 17 movies
a yearthatarenumberoneatthebox

office,whenI havefiveor 10 artistswho
arenumberoneontheBillboardcharts
andwhenI have 10 Grammysandsix
Oscars– that’ssuccess.I knowpeople

whohavethatsuccess,”Lebocontinues.
“Someofusareold-school,wedon’t
getdrunkontheperceptionofsuccess.”

Hisstandardsarecertainlyhigh,butby
allaccountshe’satthetopofhisgame.
Thecelebratedmusicianhasbeenona
whirlwindinternationaltourtopromote

theremakeoftheDisneyclassic.

THE SPIRIT

OF AFRICA

LeboMonthemagicofThe LionKing,working

withBeyoncéandhowSAartistscanmake

theirmarkon theglobalstage

BYSIYABONGADZIMBILI PICTURES:ERLOMBARD

ABOVE: Lebo with veteran actor John Kani,

who voices Rafiki in the Disney remake

of The Lion King, at the South African

premiere of the movie in Johannesburg.

We meet Lebo at the fancy restaurant

of the four-star Hyatt Regency in Rose-

bank, Joburg, a few days after the film’s

South African premiere. He’s casually

dressed in jeans and a bomber jacket

and introduces us to the woman he’s

having breakfast with.

“This is Mel Ntsala, my fiancée.”

Lebo has been married and divorced

four times. In 2017 he divorced his ex,

Angela Ngani-Kasara, after remarrying

her. He went back to Angela after break-

ing off his engagement with Zoe Mthi-

yane when the pair couldn’t agree on

their prenuptial agreement. Six months

later, he filed for divorce.

Now he’s found love again. He’s head

over heels with Mel, who has been ac-

companying him on press tours across

the globe.

The lovebirds have been dating for

about a year after meeting at the house

of a mutual friend.

Lebo doesn’t want to delve into his

love life any further, but he does have a

mouthful to say about his work.

ni

n-

a

a

h