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This is undoubtedly singer Lira’s year. She recently made her debut as one of the coaches on The Voice SA, was named a brand ambassador for Johnnie Walker as well as international makeup brand Bobbi Brown, and has just released her sixth studio album, titled Born Free.
In true Lira style, she celebrated this momentous time in her career by treating avid fans and industry supporters to a fabulous performance at The Lyric Theatre in Johannesburg’s Gold Reef City.
As people arrived, the Bobbi Brown cosmetics team made sure they remained dolled up by providing makeup touchup stations before the show.
However, the upside of things was Lira’s inimitable performance. I had never experienced the vocalist live, but had heard through the grapevine that she has a magnetic stage presence.
I wasn’t disappointed. When the show finally got under way, she made a dramatic entrance in a sexy, all-white jumpsuit to deft stage lighting and special staging effects.
What also drew my attention was Lira’s impressive dance moves. The lady knows how to have a good time on stage and is a skilled entertainer.
Audiences were just as attuned to Lira’s songs as they were to her narratives. Baring her soul, she interspersed relatable personal experiences with the music, recounting how she evolved into the artist she has become today.
“All those years ago, I quit my job because I did not feel fulfilled. I wanted to do what I am doing today. Happiness for me is singing. I have come a long way from being an exploited artist to an independent artist,” she proudly declared.
“I was made in South Africa and so it gives me great pleasure to share my new songs with you.”
Fans were treated to songs from her new album as well as the much-loved singles that launched her career.
Introducing one of her new singles, Listen, Lira told the audience: “This is one of my favourite songs. It is really just self-explanatory. Sometimes when you sit and contemplate things and you feel things, when the words come, as a songwriter it’s an amazing thing. So I just want you to sit and listen.”
The song is impressive; it’s soulful yet upbeat and gets to the root of human tribulations.
As the show went on, I caught sight of Kohl, who is also Lira’s manager, in the mist of the sound engineers and audio technicians, who kept the acoustics flawless.
Apart from her talent and that of her band, Lira has another gift I was unaware of: a wicked sense of humour. On a few occasions, I burst out laughing at things she said.
As the concert drew to a close, Lira performed a new tune, Be About It, and I watched the crowd go wild to a song they were hearing for the first time. Their enthusiasm was contagious: I found myself forgetting that I came to write about the event and danced with the lady next to me, who’d had one too many drinks.
Lira was wonderfully entertaining. Her dynamic onstage presence amazed, impressed and, at times, amused – evidence that Daveyton’s darling has become one of our national treasures.
In the VIP lounge after the launch we mingled with familiar faces, including actor Kenneth Nkosi, singer Gloria Bosman and Generations – The Legacy’s hunky onscreen father-and-son duo, Kabelo Moalusi and Mutodi Neshehe.
