Lira’s new album, Born Free, was released this month. Helen Herimbi spoke to the singer-songwriter-producer about emancipation and more.
The curtain slowly rises and there she stands with her hands on her hips. From the stage to the rafters, everything is dark but her white ensemble pops and the cape attached to her outfit makes her look like an angelic superhero.
Then the word FREEDOM is spelled out in big, bold letters on a huge screen behind her. As each letter manifests, Lira walks in the light. Her sixth album, which was released this month, is called Born Free and the high energy, high tech, highly positive launch performance she staged epitomises why.
A week later, I meet her at Jazzworx where she walks tall in leopard print heels, a pretty Gert Johan Coetzee dress and a radiant smile. Her manager and husband, Robin Kohl, follows closely behind with a camera. Before I sit with Lira, I ask what the footage he’s shooting will be used for and he smiles: “we document everything now.”
Lira, whose real name is Lerato Molapo, is in charge and pushing boundaries. You can see it in her stage production, in her ability to take the reigns and record and produce some of the album herself. You see it even in the way she seems to glide on gladness. It’s no wonder she’s the first woman to be chosen as a Joywalker (ambassador) by Johnnie Walker.
Comfortable in her own skin – and now a Bobbi Brown ambassador – and independently releasing her projects under her Otarel budding empire, Lira has paid the cost to be the boss. Why not document her power moves? “I’m in a great position to set the tone for my generation,” she tells me once we’ve sat down in a studio that has the ambient light setting she wants.
“I’ve always wanted to be someone who represents possibility. A role model if you will,” she says, “capturing it this way allows people to see how human it really is. What the actual steps are to doing what we do. We just get on with it. I always say when other people are splashing out on cars and other things, I am saving money to afford my dream. I spend to enhance the art because that’s what makes me happy.”
Her dream included people defining freedom for themselves. As a result, she places quotes by the likes of Meryl Streep and Nelson Mandela. She also asked celebrities like Somizi as well as her family members and a group of 10-12 people this The Voice judge refers to as the “superfans” to add their voices to the album by discussing freedom.
“The music is my perception of freedom,” she explains, “but I felt it was nice to hear from other people because it encourages the dialogue. It encourages the reflection.” After winning many awards, releasing DVD specials, publishing her autobiography and more, this is Lira’s sixth album. She says: “Every album feels new but what’s even more new is that this is my global album. I wanted this to be my introduction. My fans in the world needed to get a sense of the new Lira sound that’s evolved.”
“South Africans are very conservative as a nation,” she continues, “and I felt even my music approach was very conservative, meanwhile, there are so many things I enjoy. So with this album, I was very bold. I incorporated everything I like. That was in itself, an expression of freedom for me.” This album is about different types of freedom.
Freedom from negativity (Be About It), freedom from a wack relationship (Vaya), the freedom to fly your freak flag (Rhythm Of Your Heart and Unique) to be bold enough to take your freedom even when it’s not given to you (Braveheart). On Braveheart, Lira sings brazenly and even throws in a few “habashwe” – slang from the SA hip hop community.
So I ask her why she has no features on the 16-track disc. “I was having fun doing this thing and putting all my favourite elements on that song,” she smiles, “the whole project was just the joy of creativity. There are a few rappers I invited to record but they felt they didn’t bring what was necessary to the songs. My feeling was: sometimes people make the song into something bigger than it is.”
“It was an interesting process,” she continues, “There was another big artist I invited and she dilly-dallied. I was like: it’s fine. I can’t wait for other people. I’m going to trust that the right collaboration will happen.”
At this point, I ask her if she thinks her music is a little intimidating. While I think that this angelic superhero was quite motivational at the launch and that some of her quips were even in an evangelical style. There were quite a few resounding “amens” from the crowd that night. Some reviewers’ feedback, however, has been that she’s preachy. But this isn’t something new to the songstress.
She curls her knees up to the tan couch and tells me: “I am as tangible and bleed just like you is the important thing to remember. I am telling you how I got here. You can use it or don’t use it. It’s up to you.”
“I’m telling you I come from a four roomed house eDaveyton,” she leans in, “This is a mere 13 years ago – not lifetimes. Literally from nothing to something. When you decide you’re done making excuses, here’s what you can do. That’s all I’m saying. I’m focusing on the positives, you’re focusing on your problems.”
“There are people who have heard my music and their lives transformed quicker than mine did just because I said something specific that catapulted their lives. And for me, that’s when it’s worth it. ”
THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE TONIGHT ON APRIL 27 2016.