A style queen – but not a diva. Gorgeous – but not vain. New-generation soul singer Lira just oozes sex appeal, and we wonder why she even bothers to check herself out. She’s simply sensational, both inside and out. While music is her No 1 talent – if you haven’t already heard it yet, you have to go out and buy her South African Music Award (Sama) winning single, Feel Good – we can’t help but wonder if Lira has a secret modelling career that we don’t know about.
She’s utterly confident and casual behind the camera (grooving to the sounds of Amy Winehouse), and she looks like she’s done this a million times before. A true performer, perhaps? We look at her while she’s comfortably posing for pictures, playing up to the camera. Are we overhearing her thoughts? “Where are the bright lights?” she seems to be asking, silently. “Give me that stage! I wanna dance with you baby! I’m in love!”
It’s pretty obvious that if you put a microphone in front of Lira – even if it is just a dummy one – she’ll break into song. She’s cheeky and cute and clearly full of the right kind of attitude. We just can’t wait to interview this artist. Actually, all we want to do is go out partying with her. Immediately. But this, however, is not on the cards for Lira, whose career seems to have taken over her life…
“Because I love my work so much, everything becomes work work work,” she says. Expressing her desire to go out with her girlfriends, she admits to her biggest current challenge – learning how to manage her “addictive” career that is so fulfilling. “I try to get out of the country once a year to get away from people sticking cameras in my face in malls, but generally, I just don’t have time to socialise all that much these days. When I do go out, it’s usually in Greenside or Parkhurst – both great areas for dinner.”
And for a night on the town? “I’d have to say Fashion TV. There is a fantastic vibe there, and it’s the one place where a woman won’t get hit on! To listen to good, live, local music… I’m all for The Bassline, The Blues Room in Sandton and even Tanz Cafe in Bryanston.”
So when she does go out, what does she wear? Knock-offs from flea markets (“I get unusual stuff there…”) and local designers. “I love Stone Cherry,” she confesses. “Their skirts have so much personality, and they are so playful, sexy and elegant. Also, while I have never worn any of Thula Sindi’s stuff, I appreciate the quality of his clothing. In a nutshell, I am so a local is lekker kind of girl.”
So if you happen to spot Lira and dream of buying her outfit, there’s actually a chance that you could copy it if you get down to the Rosebank Rooftop Market or the Oriental Plaza and search hard enough for it. Forget about forking out for expensive designer clothes from top international boutiques if you want to get the Lira look. She said it – her favourite piece of clothing is a pair of jeans she’s had for seven years. “I think there’s nothing that reflects who we are as well as our own designs,” she says.
But she won’t go out wearing just sommer anything, especially not in Joburg… “People do tend to get a bit more dressed-up here,” she says. “It’s very pacey, so people are conscious of what they look like.”
Her fashion savvy scooped Lira the SA fashion industry’s Fashion Icon of the Year Award. And she sure doesn’t have a shortage of accolades… Along with winning two Samas this year, she’s featured on the Girlfriends soundtrack alongside the likes of Amy Winehouse, Corinne Bailey Rae, Chaka Khan and other top international artists.
And she’s delighted. “The calibre of female artists who are on there is amazing, and it is such an honour to be on that CD,” she beams. “Everyone on there I have respect for.” She wouldn’t have made the CD any differently herself. Although we suspect, if she could have, she would have somehow included eight-time Grammy Award winning muso Anita Baker… “When I was 16 and in matric, my first-ever single, All My Love, was released commercially, and you can hear that it was very Anita-inspired. She was a big influence on me when I was growing up.”
We probe Lira to name some other great influences on her music. And she admits to having a whole host, from many places too. “I just borrow a bit from everyone, but I have managed to find my own space within all of them,” she says.
And although she can hold her own among many of South Africa’s music legends, Lira admits she was blown away when she first met Miriam Makeba, the inspiration for the cover of this issue of Joburg Style. “I was star struck when I met her. I gate-crashed an interview of hers on Metro FM many years ago when I heard she was in the building as I just had to find her. All I wanted to do was stand at the window and say hi. I didn’t want to interfere.
“But the DJ was kind enough to invite me in and introduce me to her formally. She went on to invite me as one of the girls to sing honorary songs to her on a TV show – so she remembered me, and I was grateful for that.”
Finally, before she runs off to her next appointment, we ask Lira what she loves about the city. “We are still getting over the past,” she kicks off, “but once you are in Joburg, you will get the vibe. We are warm, beautiful people, and our weather is typical of us – we are like a ray of sunshine and a breath of fresh air.
“I love the people of Johannesburg. I love being South African. And I love our history.” So do we, Lira. So do we.”