Outlook Mixtape: The musical

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Born under apartheid and in poverty, South African composer Lebo M grew up loving music and became a performer at a young age. His talent took him on a tumultuous journey from Soweto to Hollywood. As he worked on the music for Disney's hit animation The Lion King and as apartheid came to an end in South Africa, the story of those lions fighting for their kingdom took on a whole new relevance to him. Lebo M spoke to Emily Webb in 2019. Marni Nixon looks back at her early singing career in the 1950s and 1960s. Hollywood's ghost singer, whose voice you hear in the main roles of The King and I (singing for Deborah Kerr), My Fair Lady (singing for Audrey Hepburn) and West Side Story (singing for Natalie Wood), tells Outlook's Jo Fidgen about the days when she had to defend her rights to be credited. This interview was first broadcast in 2013. Sammi Cannold, a Jewish Broadway director, and Safi Rauf, a Muslim humanitarian, met in August 2021 during the chaotic evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan. Amid the crisis, they fell in love. However, just months into dating, Safi was taken prisoner by the Taliban while carrying out humanitarian work in Kabul. For 105 days, he was held in a basement prison but kept the spirits of his fellow captives alive by singing songs from the musical Les Misérables. Presenter: Saskia Collette Producer: Thomas Harding Assinder Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707 (Photo: Cassette tape. Credit: Getty Images)