Getting to know SA house queen Lady Zamar

We caught up with SA’s new queen of house music to talk about her hit single, Collide, her Sama win and more

It’s You – Dreaming is your new track out, but everyone knows you from Collide. What’s it about? “It’s about not knowing if the person you love is going to be there for you and [if they’ll] catch you if you fall. I wrote the song in 2014 when I was going through a lot of turmoil. I likened it to driving on a dangerous highway and you don’t know if you’re going to get to your destination. So Collide is really about the whole journey and whether we’re ever going to make it to the other side.” You won this year’s best dance album Sama for King Zamar, your debut. What did that mean to you? “After a good 12 or 13 years of no woman having won in this category it was a big up to girl power! Too many times women are seen as just featuring in men’s songs, even though they’re the person singing and writing the songs. I try by all means to give 100% so when you’re not recognised for that sometimes it really hurts. For me, winning this was an ode to all the strong women out there who are working really hard every day.” How has life changed for you since King Zamar went gold? “Life has exponentially changed for me. First of all, I didn’t have as much confidence as I have right now. I’ve got to know myself better, I’ve got to know my people, my fans, better. And I’ve gone back to living life with no care in the world – just being happy and making music.” What does the album title mean? “Zamar means ‘praising God in music’ so King Zamar was like me saying, ‘I’m the leader of what I’m doing.’ The ‘king’ part has another meaning for me – standing up among the men in our industry and saying, ‘I understand you guys and that we’re all gifted but please don’t undermine me just because I’m a woman’.” Who inspires you? “Most of my inspiration is from country and gospel music, here and there from jazz. I love Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Tracy Chapman, Beyoncé, Kirk Franklin and Ariana Grande. My all-time favourite is Dolly Parton – she’s one of the best songwriters. And then there’s Amy Winehouse . . . This list is endless.” Tell us about your childhood. Where did your love of music begin? “I grew up in Pretoria West. I went to Presda Primary School and started singing there because at the time they had a lot of choir and musical programmes.” Was becoming a singer part of the plan? “I always enjoyed singing but I never thought I was going to be a singer. I got involved in teaching and I’m still studying to become a junior lecturer. I had this life plan that I was going to be a professor at a certain age, and then this music thing just came and swept me off my feet.” What’s been your biggest challenge so far? “Dealing with opportunistic people in the music industry.” Your plans for the rest of 2018? “To release singles, make music videos and perform. We’re officially starting the Golden Child tour this year which is going to be an epic experience – trust me!” Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time? “Having a family and a huge company that employs thousands of people who might not have had a chance to be employed before. I’m all about enacting social change and creating job opportunities.”