Lira talks about putting in the effort to stay relevant as the world changes

Award-winning singer and songwriter Lira's career in the music industry spans over 18 years and with that in mind the songstress believes she has made a great name for herself by consistently releasing classics that have stood the test of time.

In an interview with TshisaLIVE, Lira said though the industry has “evolved” in Mzansi she hasn't lost track of her drive and passion and has opted to “start” on a clean slate.

“There are times were in my music journey I didn’t feel motivated and I think especially now with what’s happening.  Inasmuch as I’m adaptive and I’ve had a great 2020 and 2021, I’ve been busy. It’s been wonderful but fundamentally our industry has changed completely. The world you thought you knew is not the same and the attitude I’ve taken is 'fine, let’s pretend I’m starting my career from scratch.' I feel like that’s the only attitude.”

The musician said Covid-19 was the final nail in the coffin. The change however began with the digital era. 

“The digital era was the first thing that influenced music , people were not buying physical copies any more You pay R50 to stream a million songs, how much do you think the artist is getting, peanuts. Where we used to get such beautiful income, suddenly all of that is gone. It means artists had to find other ways to find sustenance. Our industry the way we’ve known it is completely dead.”

She credits her staying power to productivity and her mad work ethic.

“For the longest time I think I was highly productive in my career — there was always something coming out. I think that’s the thing in terms of relevance. That’s what sustained me. Productivity is number one.

“Second I’ve made a good name for myself in the industry in that I wasn’t just putting out material, I was putting out good quality material ... I really was trying to build a career for myself that would work internationally.”

There was a time in Lira’s career were she ventured out in the US in the hopes of winning a Grammy. She spent years assembling a team of publicists, managers and specialists to launch her career in the US and Mzansi got to see that on her reality show Dreamchaser.

“I didn’t wanna be a South African artist. Remember my dream was ultimately to win a Grammy, so I was acutely aware that if I wanna win a Grammy I can’t be Miss Local in any level. So I think that desire starts pushing you to be a certain calibre or quality of an artist.”

Lira has crafted music, pulling out all the stops to ensure she had a physical presence in the world.

“The DVDs I was putting out was that one day I could sell my music all over the world.  You are playing on a global stage so you gotta have your s**t together.” We were doing such cool things. The DVDs were the most unique aspect of what we were doing. We weren’t afraid to put out really great products.”

She has since embraced performing locally at places she has never performed at before and she enjoys the kasi flair.

“It’s a different environment so I feel like I'm still growing. In that sense it's just different vibe e-location to everything that I've done. There's like a spirit and an energy in the township that’s unmatched anywhere else.”