‘The old Lira is gone,’ as singer prepares to officially return to stage since recovering from a stroke

It will feel like somewhat of a homecoming, when songstress Lira officially returns to stage as a headliner at the Africa Day celebrations in the Bassline Fest, this after suffering a stroke while in Germany two years ago.

“I have been practising to perform as part of my recovery and have come to accept that the old Lira is gone,” said the award winning muso.

The Department of Sport Arts and Culture in association with alcohol brand Caste Lite are teaming up to bring the award-winning singer on stage at Constitution Hill on May 25.

This won’t be her first performance since the stroke though. Last year while in the audience at the RMB Starlight Classics, she was invited on stage by Katlego Maboe for an impromptu performance.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Lira’s first impromptu performance since her stroke

Recovery

Fans of Lira and curious South Africans have been wondering if the singer will return to stage after suffering a stroke in 2022 and braving a hard recovery journey.

The 44 year-old singer, whose real name is Lerato Molapo and celebrates her 45^th on Thursday has spoken about how she had to relearn how to speak due to speech impediment brought by the stroke.

“People have been asking me to share my story and I wasn’t ready because I couldn’t talk and I wasn’t ready to speak in a conversation. But now I’m ready and speech impediment doesn’t bother me, it did before. I’m here to share my story,” a bold Lira said in her first interview last year.

The Feel Good singer was in Frankfurt, Germany, on tour alone when the stroke hit.

The German doctors who attended to her gave her the assurance that she could learn to speak again, despite the damage.

“Because I’ve had a stroke they told me the language centre is damaged. I can re-learn how to speak, read and write but it’s going to take time.”

“I accepted my situation because there was nothing for me to do. I felt calm, peace washed over me when I did that. The calm and peace has been with me since.”

That sense of calm has remained and speaking recently Lira said, “I wondered who the new Lira would be and have been getting to know her and feel ready to share her with the public.”

“Learning to speak and sing in Sotho and Zulu has been extremely difficult, without any vernacular speech therapy, and I only spoke the languages from memory with random people such as cashiers and petrol attendants,” said the former 999 artist.

“They have really helped me. I am constantly setting little goals for myself to master the languages. I’m working on it…”

ALSO READ: ‘I had to learn to speak, like I was a child’: Lira on how she recovered from stroke

30’s the lucky number

Bassline Fest’s Brad Holmes is delighted to host Lira’s return and spoke of how her comeback culminates with other significant milestones in the country.

“We welcome Lira back onto stage as we celebrate many occasions; Lira’s return, Africa Day, 30 years of our Democracy and 30 years of Bassline. Bassline has been promoting original music from the whole of our African Continent since September 1994!”

“I am so excited and looking forward to being on stage again to perform at Bassline Fest Africa Day Celebration,” averred Lira.

“What makes this performance extra special is that not only are we, in South Africa, celebrating 30 years of democracy, but we are also celebrating the new Lira as well as the Bassline’s 30th Anniversary.” Other artists for the day will be announced in the near future.

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