Lion King Composer Lebo M Sells Music Rights to Reservoir Media
Reservoir Media has acquired rights to the catalog of renowned composer Lebohang "Lebo M" Morake, best known for his work on The Lion King. The deal represents another significant film-score acquisition for the New York-based company.
Four musicians smiling at reservoir
Morake's contributions to film music include:
- The iconic opening of "Circle of Life" from The Lion King (1994)
- Musical work for multiple Lion King projects, including the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King
- Scores for Tears of the Sun (2003), The Legend of Tarzan (2016), and The Woman King (2022)
The Grammy-winning composer first collaborated with Hans Zimmer on 1992's The Power of One, leading to their partnership on The Lion King projects. While specific financial terms remain undisclosed, the deal encompasses rights to Morake's influential catalog.
Reservoir CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi emphasized the cultural impact of Morake's work, stating his music "has moved generations of film lovers." The acquisition aligns with Reservoir's strategy of investing in culturally significant film scores, following their previous deals with composers like Henry Jackman.
Morake, through his company Till Dawn Entertainment, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, noting it will enable him to "continue pushing the boundaries of creativity and sharing my music with new generations."
This acquisition adds to Reservoir's extensive portfolio of over 150,000 compositions and 36,000 recordings, with the company's shares showing an 18% increase following recent activist investor activity.
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