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Biography

"Shadowland" is a song written by Lebo M, Hans Zimmer, and Mark Mancina for the musical The Lion King (1997), a stage adaptation of Disney's 1994 animated film of the same name. Based on the song "Lea Halalela (Holy Land)", a track featured on Lebo's Lion King-inspired concept album Rhythm of the Pride Lands (1995), Lebo composed the track with Zimmer, while both Lebo and Mancina contributed new lyrics to its melody. Lebo based the song's lyrics on his own experiences having been exiled from South Africa during apartheid, therefore imbuing "Shadowland" with themes about refugeeism and survival. Originally performed by Trinidadian-American singer and actress Heather Headley as Nala, and South African actress Tsidii Le Loka as Rafiki, roles both performers originated on stage, "Shadowland" narrates Nala's decision to leave the Pride Lands in search of a more habitable environment upon realizing that her homeland has grown dry and barren in the midst of Scar's reign. Taking place shortly after Nala rejects Scar's romantic advances, director Julie Taymor used the song to develop Nala into a stronger character for the stage adaptation, and identified "Shadowland" as her favorite among the production's original songs, believing its message and themes to be universal. Musically, "Shadowland" is a soul power ballad. Sung in both English and African languages, its instrumentation combines African percussion with European orchestration to create a more exotic sound while accompanying pop vocals and African chants; some critics have observed political themes such as feminism, injustice and the ecosystem throughout the song's lyrics. "Shadowland" has been mostly positively received by music and theatre critics; both Headley and actresses who replaced her in subsequent productions of the musical have been praised for their vocals and performances.