Platinum-Selling South African Singing Star LIRA coming to America

PLATINUM-SELLING SOUTH AFRICAN SINGING STAR LIRA COMING TO AMERICA

FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SADE, LIRA BLENDS R & B, JAZZ & AFRICAN STYLES

Platinum-selling South African singer/model/actress Lira has already conquered South Africa and much of Europe with her irresistible blend of R & B, Jazz and African styles. Like Sade before her, she is now set to conquer America with the release of her debut U.S. single “Feel Good” and her debut U.S. album release Rise Again, which came out on April 29 2014 on Shanachie Entertainment. The album’s first single, “Feel Good,” is a slinky, jazzy re-mix of one of her major South African hits, a perfect showcase for Lira’s soulful, melodious singing style. That unique style led Essence Magazine to name her as one of “Five Unique Artists To Change Music in 2012.”

With her debut U.S. release and a US tour in the works, Lira is clearly poised for a major Stateside breakthrough. Born in the midst of Apartheid, the stunning artist shares, “Music changed my world forever It was the companion and silent warrior that spoke for us when we were not able to.”

“Lira has all the ingredients to be a star in the U.S.,” says Shanachie General Manager Randall Grass. “She has a unique sound, a wonderful voice, model-quality looks and is already a popular artist, not only in Africa but in much of Europe as well, with a wide-ranging appeal to Jazz, R &B, World music and Pop audiences.”

Rise Again is the perfect introduction to the full-spectrum of Lira’s artistry. Songs such as “With My Eyes” and “Typical” highlight her sultry vocal tone on songs that deal with the subtleties of romantic relationships. “Rise Again,” “Feel Good” and “Believer” are all upbeat, inspirational, feel good anthems that exemplify Lira’s ability to touch people of all different backgrounds.

She incorporates reggae into “Valley Of Darkness” and “Call Me,” a natural move since reggae continues to be a vibrant presence on the contemporary African music scene. “Ixesha,” “Hamba” and “Phakade” are all African-language songs that bring South African musical textures to the “You know there’s something very special about knowing who you are and knowing how you came to be,” Lira said in an interview with NPR’s “Tell Me More.” “There’s, for me, just something really precious about that and I understand the problem. The thing that we suffered with as our generation, is that we are trying to integrate into the world, you know, so we feel like there’s no space for our heritage and that’s just an incorrect perception. So by artists like myself, who still preserve the language, we bring a sense of coolness to it. So it’s just important, but I mean that’s the struggle that the elders are finding is that children just want to be part of the global community and they can’t see where it all fits in. So that’s why I feel like with our generation it’s our responsibility to preserve it.” All of the songs on Rise Again are written or co-written by Lira, except the deeply moving “Something Inside So Strong,” written by Labi Siffre. Lira performed the song for Nelson Mandela at his 90th birthday celebration.

TOUR DATES (click on city for info / links)

Lira was born in Ekurhuleni, East of Johannesburg, South Africa. Having grown up listening to Stevie Wonder, Miriam Makeba, Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone, she began writing songs and performing at age 16. In 2000, she was discovered by the musician producer Arthur Mafokate, who signed her to his label, releasing her debut album All My Love in 2003. The title track surpassed Beyonce’s “Dangerously In Love” on a chart-topping run. She was then signed to Sony Music in South Africa and saw her debut Sony album win awards at the South African Music Awards (SAMA), the South African equivalent of the Grammy awards.

In summer of 2010 she joined such artists as Alicia Keys, Shakira, K’Naan and John Legend as featured performer in the FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Concert. That year she also made her cinematic debut as the support lead in the Italian feature film Consul. The Star newspaper in South Africa declared her the foremost Adult Contemporary solo artist in South Africa. The release of her high-end concert DVD, Live In Concert: A Celebration, was certified Triple-Platinum and knocked Celine Dion’s Live In Las Vegas out of the #1 spot on the video sales chart. Her first two Sony albums were likewise certified Platinum. Lira has appeared on the cover of more than twenty magazines around the world and has the largest Facebook following of any South African musician with over 400,000 fans. She also received a BET Awards nomination as “Best International Artist” in 2012.

With the release of Rise Again, American audiences will at last experience the magic Lira has brought to audiences in Europe and Africa.

Platinum-Selling South African Singing Star LIRA coming to America