Lebo morake biography

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Star mentality -- it's not often found in the dusty streets of Soweto, South Africa. Yet, one of Soweto's denizens discovered that it would transport him into the arms of the most prestigious members of America's music industry. The challenge of being black in a country so immersed in racial strife made a career in America's entertainment biz seem unattainable. But star quality is what has helped Grammy-nominated musician Lebo M shape a bright future on the American music front.

Lebo M (an abbreviated version of his last name, Morake) left school and began his career at the age of nine. Performing in nightclubs in his native Soweto, he was inspired by the songs of the diamond mine workers and Zulu music. "The early '30s American jazz and R&B were very popular in my country," Lebo says with a heartwarming smile. "I loved Marvin Gaye and the Commodores. My father could sing any Louis Armstrong song, and my mom was really into American jazz."

Seduced by these inspirations, Lebo alw