Lira’s Truth
February 10, 2010 by Brown Shuga
Wow! I don’t know where to begin. I know this might be a bit late but I just have to, have to say this!
A friend of mine (enkosi Mariri) recently gave me a copy of Lira’s Live I Concert DVD as a gift and I couldn’t believe what I saw/heard. I have never bought any of Lira’s albums but that’s not because I don’t like her or anything, it’s just that there was nothing about her music, great as it is, that compelled me to go out and actually buy her CD.
Truth? For me she is one of those voices where I feel “Okay, one song is enough. I can’t listen to her on repeat.” I feel the same way about Leona Lewis.
I remember last year we went on a road trip to Mozambique and one of my friends, who’s obsessed with Lira, kept on playing Lira’s CD (think it was Soul In Mind) over and over , boy was I irritated. Now that I look back at it, I should have actually used that time to listen and learn the words to the songs coz damn, the DVD is on FAYA!!!
Lira is Phenomenal
From the production of the show, the set, the lighting, her band, her voice, outfits (& that stoned cherrie number that looks like mine lol), her make up, her hair, I just could not find anything there was not right. Okay maybe her dance moves lol but who cares. That DVD is, in my opinion, the best South African LIVE performance DVD ever. I know there aren’t that many but it’s honestly a timeless classic because her music (now that I’ve listened to it lol) sounds timeless.
So many times while watching I was like, hell, there’s no way this is a live performance, she sounds way too good! I’m just too proud of her and wanted to use this space to just say “Big Up” to her and her team for putting up such a brilliant show. We are not used to seeing such things here at home, am totally impressed!
Seeing that people are talking about that stupid Valentine’s Dayt, this DVD would make a super gift, I loved it! I’ve only watched it once so far but forget what I said about her voice on repeat, I’m looking forward to seeing & listening to this again and again. Sshhh, don’t tell anyone but I found myself crying kae kae while watching hehe.
Lira performs 20 songs on the DVD and Bonus features include 3 music videos and a documentary about the making of Lira’s Story.
Lira sisi, you just got yourself a fan!
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Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored article, it’s the truth!
Follow my new Twitter: @MsLeloB
Lwestana on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 12:48 am
Tjo, people were raving about her on Facebook and I didn’t get. Only when I saw the repeat of her dvd on SABC 1. I was blown away. I’m buying it rather soon! Big ups to her, production team and band!
Lela on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 12:51 am
Lol st not sponsored, I’ve listened to that DVD enogh to know the lirics to all the songs. The DVD is supper fine but for me ikhona into eshotayo, I love Lira and I was once desperate for that DVD but after watching it and appreciating everything about the DVD I still felt I would have loved more action nje, as for her vocal ability I will reserve my comment.
lorrelai on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 1:00 am
i caught her performance on sabc1 & promised myself that i’d buy her DVD. ndisazayithenga ke, i’m a procrastinator by nature. she must just be patient. i love the way she does her thing & how she went ALL OUT (in my opinion). i just wish she’d stop smilling like she’s doing in that picture with a mustard dress. hayi!
Tatiana m on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 2:16 am
Gt d dvd 4 xmas.watchd it thru out.shes amazin.tru
nonny on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 3:28 am
Well mina I’m her biggest fan bt it started only last year after seeing her perform live ko divas in concert. And ever since then I can’t stop myself 4rm listern 2 her music. Damn chick rocks
Kiki on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 6:12 am
Eish,honestly i like her music but it doesnt make me want to buy it.I am waitin for the day when she’d wow me so until then i will rely on the radio stations.. I wouldnt mind buyin her outfits,they are stunning.
Ntofoza on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 7:26 am
The lady rocks. She’s byond phenomenal!!!!! She puts her all in everything she does.
Makgotso on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 7:41 am
I was addicted to this dvd kafestive,everybody in da house was complain coz ukuvuka kwami yiyo. En almost every person l visited ngizomthola adlala yona,ioriginal hay umraytho,bigup Lira dat perfomance is mnca
Fezzy on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 7:48 am
My sis has always said that she doesnt like Lira, but she heard the Nom’ ungahamba song….Yo lets just say its driving her crazy.
Sasha Fierce on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 8:03 am
moving from 999 was the best thing she has ever done for her career..Those bad rnb tracks she did!!!!!OMW!!!
khafo on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 8:10 am
I can’t believe you’re complementing her now. She’s amazing have a DVD at home and work. The kwaito songs, everything is so ………*all those beautiful words*
LeeM on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 8:16 am
Thank God she left Arthur and his sika lekhekhes!
I love Lira wholeheartedly. I didnt care about her until I went to a Kaya FM dinner do and she was there with her live band. I just got hooked. I buy her cds without even checking them out first, I have the dvd even though I havent watched it!
blu on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 8:24 am
when i ran to musica to buy that DVD, i kenw it was bound to be of high standards
Ms Lira did not dissappoint from song 1 to last…she was devine
the interview was beautiful as well
and i love the fact that she does not entertain the issue of her being married to her manager
she is discreet and potrais the Lira character well
she is a decent woman
666 oopps! 999 would have never achieved what she has achieved
she was too BIG for them
that woman is quality….quality ….quality
the songs are not one liners e.g. sika lekhekhe..sika lekhekhe (oh my bad that was two words)
she makes sure that we get the message through and through
i love that DVD
hamba speaks to my life……i played it over and over and over
and as for the DVD……….its a clooectors item for sure!!
Lira! Big Ups to you
LeeM watch that DVD……
blu on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 8:28 am
LeeM…….i pormise i did not read rresponses, i just typed mine before even reading the article
i hope BS is not criticising her DVD and her
dali on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 8:36 am
i also got it as a prezzie en i cant stop watching it. beautiful!
sponono on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 8:43 am
BOUGHT this dvd two weks ago, took it to my friends place and “bayintsara”…LOL when i went back to musica for anada one ’twas sold out….
my favourite tracks….Hamba, Beliver, and the closing celebration..but the entire music is great…I’m gonna buy it again very soon
Lela…I agree with you there’s something’inyana nje eshodayo..wait wait wait(tapping finger on cheek)…oh yeah its those two guys .eeergh..didnt like whatever they did there…and the stage was a bit too …err “clean” or dull or it looked like there should have ben more action..sometimes simplicity can be a bore…but this is her first live dvd, so she pulled an awesome job for a first so the next one will be even better…
BTW she’s also very engaging on stage nice to watch very classy..and BS those dance moves are just HERS alone.LOL…thats what makes her unique…y’all must listen to the special features where she’s talkin about “being comofrtable in your own skin coz thats the only skin you’ll ever have”…that taught me something about how one gains confidence as she makes an example of MJ and his tiny physique
(BS..its Big upS..not big up…class dismissed.)…lol jus kiddin
stix stonez on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 8:52 am
she is dopest female pop artist in sa after brenda!
talented this girl and her team is best
love her
GA on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 8:54 am
Those too guys Sponono bothered me too, but i eventually accepted them as part of the Lira simplicity..i warmed up to them.
I also felt nothing but distant respect for Lira untill my sista forced me to watch the live bit on tv, I was pleasantly suprised and randomly i find myslef singing Nomungahanbaa…and thats the only part i remmeber…lol…
I think Lira now…I think Pride, I think Respect and i pray she doesnt get possesed to spice it up coz it could be very bad or very good and she is in a fragile position i think to try and be risky..in SA.
I might just get the dvd if i get Asa’s dvd as a gift,cant buy both…
ntshepeng on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:05 am
Lira is a rock sta!
Philzah on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:16 am
Gosh… How I LOVE Lira’s boobs!!! She’s got the MOST perfect set I’ve ever seen ( and I’ve seen plenty in my line of work)
Mogwanthi on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:25 am
LIRA, LIRA, LIRA!!!!
BS that friend who played it on the way to Moz also played it on our way from Swaziland and i went to buy the cd the following week…
Got the DVD last year and i just cant get enough of it!
I always tell my friends who come to visit gore i am going to make them watch the best of S.A music, she is absolutely awesome and buying her cd & DVD is worth it!
Mmapula on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:28 am
yoo. i absolutely love Lira. i have been a fan ever since she left 999.i remember when feel good came out i rushed to the store and bouught and everyone was surprise gore what i am on about. by the time the alsum became recognised i already knew all the songs and when soul in mind was released i again rushed after hearing just one song on the album. the DVD yona i did not even waste time.
i love her music and i also love how she carries herself.
all my friends,family and colleague know i am die heart.
i love lira and her music finish and klaar, wa so disappointed when i could not attend the DVD recording and i still have to see her live.
Dladla on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:30 am
My baby has this Lira DVD… Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.
Tracks I love: I’m a believer (My boo-boo loves it too), Soul and Mind, Ixesha and the one she sings accompanied by a guitar, I think it’s “stay in my company”. She is the best and I believe she is going very far.
I reserve my comments on the Mofokate note.
I must say, I prefer listen to her DVD than her actual CD. I’m a sucker for live perfomances because that’s how you determine a good singer…
Ilizwi lakhe is still the same, that’s what I like.
Naomi on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:32 am
I have both her cd’s ( I think its safe to assume she doesn’t want us to ever mention the 999 cd) and her dvd!!! She is my favourite local musician by far,she is amazing!!!!!
Jozi Outsider on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:47 am
A friend of mine bought that dvd for me for Christmas, and i love it. It’s the best. I’m a huge fan ya Lira, got all her albums and even scored some “fan-photos” with her. The quality of that dvd is worth all the time and money invested in it. Flawless.
blakrose on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 10:16 am
i was actually at the live recording and i was blown away.
I expected it to be good but it was an amazing experience to be part of. She gave us our money’s worth and some. I ordered her dvd online the next day, i so wanted to re live the moment. She definitely raised the bar with that DVD. Go LIRA
MaGeza-1 on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 10:25 am
@lorrelai: “She’d stop smilling like she’s doing in that picture with a mustard dress. hayi!” *Dingovolo can’t be hidden…braces failed. Hence the protruding Lira smile… Now say “Ngo” with your front teeth out and try to smile properly? hhhm not a good sight is it?
Mochaki on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 11:02 am
I was at the concert and bought the DVD. Lira is one of the best if not the best of Mzansi’s talent.
Renegade on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 11:02 am
YOU KNOW THIS!!!
Love love love her,I cannot even explain just how much. “Song in mind” still gets to me to this day, and ‘ngiyabonga’ , and ‘ngiyazifela”, eish, lemme stop coz there are a lot i like!
P.S. BS, did you see us in the DVD? THe talk to the fans part, watch carefully!
blaque diamond on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 11:09 am
lira is the best.
J.A.Y. on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 11:24 am
Been a fan since the first album she did (out of 666/999 -hehehe) …haven’t bought the DVD yet but I’ve seen it…I think it’s a great production.
Not the most vocally gifted in the world – but she knows how far her voice goes – and that coupled with well-written and well-produced songs makes her a good musician.
Proudly South African…
Keep doing your thing Mrs Kohl (?)
Bee on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 11:58 am
Ok some1 is dissin Valentines coz yena une’EX’ yes wena BS hehehe. Anyways i ddn know i lykd Lira until she left 999. Watched the DVD on LIVE (SABC) and i enjoyed it and the track ‘BELIEVA’ bt it ends there i don c my self going and buy the Dvd hayi cha phela mina ng’thanda lezi zijaivisayo. Yena shes mo that good tho.
Nonny on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 12:28 pm
Also have the DVD and it’s good and all, but her Xhosa is very English-like, I really can’t explain it but there is something very irritating abt the mlungu-xhosa accent she has going on. Apart from that it’s a very classy dvd and her dresses are stunning. Most importantly, BIG ups to Priscilla and Brenda of Joyous Celebration, you guys are phenomenal backing vocalists!!! Somizi u try ur best with the choreography, but clearly kuyamuhlula ukuba natural at dancing.
Cheesa on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 12:51 pm
Hey that is exactly how I felt about the DVD the first time watched it on LIVE. It’s totally amazing. Lira is talented. I also had doubts about it being a live performance coz the voice is sooo clean like in the CD. This what I said here:
http://www.tvsa.co.za/default.asp?blogname=ZiyaCheesa&articleid=13290
Dunno if I have broke the rules
sponono on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 12:51 pm
Nonny…maybe its because she’s not 100% xhosa and she speaks mostly sesotho..or maybe uyazishuna hi hi hi…but yena une-class she could mingle and wigle it with the Jill Scotts and the Sades overseas..
Re Somizi dont you think its the same choreography you see in every seting he’s involved with…its great but more suitable for aboLebo mathosa and other Ghetoo-chicks..lol…uLira udinga aboma Ballerrina nabelungu abazinwebayo estage…or some ethnic inspired dancers..
Nekzo on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 1:12 pm
Kwakwakwakwa…@Sponono,uyahlekisa wena
Mina I’m not a Lira fan but I enjoyed her DVD on Live,especially where she was doing all those dance moves,from the 80′s dance,kwasa kwasa,skere,qobhetsha,saka……..uyajika yena shame.
Bruised Ego on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 1:21 pm
Yep….stamp of approval!!!!!
She is everything, she has a great voice, good music and good personality….The DVD is the BOMB (that’s if we still use this word in 2010)
Why the new username & profile wena BS?…. but i’m following you now now!!!
Lela on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 2:46 pm
Yes Nonny big up up to Priscilla no Brenda, they are the music in that DVD, don’t know if it came out the way I want it to but it’s amzing what backing vocalists can do for one. LOL @ Philzah kanti what it your line of work that makes you see diff kinds of boobs, are you working at La Senza or Temptations,if so how come you never saw my beautiful 36DD? lol
Nonny on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 4:30 pm
“Nonny…maybe its because she’s not 100% xhosa and she speaks mostly sesotho..or maybe uyazishuna hi hi hi…”
Sponono uyazishuna mfethu, BIG TIME mfethu.
“Re Somizi dont you think its the same choreography you see in every seting he’s involved with…its great but more suitable for aboLebo mathosa and other Ghetoo-chicks..lol…”
Sponono that is so true he is abit to ghetto at times. Yazi even in the Joyous Celebration DVD’s most of the time the choreography does not go with the message that the song is sending across, Somizi needs to be alittle more versatile manje akakhule manje umtana kaMampinga….LOL
“Yes Nonny big up up to Priscilla no Brenda, they are the music in that DVD, don’t know if it came out the way I want it to but it’s amzing what backing vocalists can do for one.”
In most cases backing vocalists are actually better than the lead singer, but as they say: “Izinlanhla zabantu azifani”
Zube on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 4:50 pm
@ Nonny: i dont hear anything wrong with her Xhosa, she’s singing there, not speaking, besides thats not her mama tongue, so don’t b 2 tough on her. Her voice? Whats wrong with it? She sounds great there… Nithanda gqithi ukucoba oonomoyi (you love nit-picking)! Lol
boithabiso on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 4:54 pm
I was not a huge Lira fan until i wathced that dvd.Oh and the performance ya that I Believe song OMG!!!!!It blew me away!!!Lady is too talented.
Nonny on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 4:55 pm
“@ Nonny: i dont hear anything wrong with her Xhosa, she’s singing there, not speaking, besides thats not her mama tongue, so don’t b 2 tough on her. Her voice? Whats wrong with it?”, simple things like when she says “Ngeke” it sounds like NGEKHE” There nothing wrong with her voice, I just loved the backing vocalists as well. I must say I love the way she does “Phuliqolo” very glamourized dance….LOL
Bongza on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 6:02 pm
I’m not into afro jazz ishh, but Lira i collect, she’s in a class of her own and i cant think of a female artist that is loved by South Africa like she is. Respect!
sponono on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 7:40 pm
am i the only one who saw the cover of the DVD and EXPECTED Lira to be wearing that skin tight sexy dress (upa..lol)
and doin that pose…LOL..so i watched and watched and watched and there was no pa….or blue “madona dress”…LOL
Cinnabon on Thu, 11th Feb 2010 11:32 am
I went to the concert…had goosebumps throughout.
My boyfriend bought it for me…and I have watched it so many times but still get goosebumps and tears…
I bought 4 copies of the DVD for my family for Xmas…bcoz I truelly believe everyone should have it.
Lira is AMAZING!!!
I can not think of any other South African artist who could put together such an awesome show.
ugogal on Thu, 11th Feb 2010 11:41 am
i was never lira’s fan but after attending her show last year, ooohhh the gal rocks!
jellie on Thu, 11th Feb 2010 6:18 pm
HASKA!!!! Don feel her njee…..
Nonny on Fri, 12th Feb 2010 10:18 am
Guys I keep listening to the DVD and I am so now wowed like everyone.
Nonny on Fri, 12th Feb 2010 10:19 am
I mean I am NOT WOWED as in I don’t get the big deal.
Bonsia on Fri, 12th Feb 2010 11:29 am
I fell inlove with her from her Feel Good Album…good thing she left 999. She is toooo good! Classy! Natural!
Mmapula on Fri, 12th Feb 2010 1:31 pm
I really hope you had a good good time, i really hope you have a really a good good good good time!!
Fruity on Fri, 12th Feb 2010 2:30 pm
‘I believe in love, love reveals just who we are’ Lira is the best
Asanda on Fri, 12th Feb 2010 3:05 pm
I have the greatest respect for the women and I idolise her she is one of the greatest local artist of our time. I had the honor to share a stage with her a couple of time and she is the most humble , respectful and sweetest person I have come across. Must say had a great time going through the comments forum , u guys are the funniest * 666/999 was the classic for me. lol!
Admin on Fri, 12th Feb 2010 3:33 pm
Hahahahahah Sponono, i also waited for that dress to come up.
Nonny wena udinga imithandaza… lol
l'lato on Fri, 12th Feb 2010 10:12 pm
Ag, shem yena she’s on point mona fase.Wola lerato
Ginger on Sun, 21st Feb 2010 4:53 pm
I also shed a tear or two when she sang Believer,great song!Oh and her High school choir was also good.
SnoppyGirl on Tue, 23rd Feb 2010 2:53 am
someone very close to my heart introduced me to Lira, well she introduced me to one song of hers “Ngiyazifela” tjooooo Nkosi yami i was hooked then ended up listening to the album & BOOOM fell inlove even today i got mad love for her music…haike DVD yona iyandiqwela tjoooo so much talent , i dnt c anything wrong in it…