SA songbird to launch her own reality show

SOMETHING no one can take away from Lira ( pictured) is that she and her team know how to navigate the arts. After more than a decade of songs, the Feel Good singer has never missed a step in the development of her craft. This has set her apart from her peers because she knows how to brand herself well.

For instance, if you look back to when she started out you realise that she still had to decide on what kind of image she wanted. For instance, there was a period when she wore braids like Brandy did in the ’90s, but if you look at Lira today, she now rocks a short, natural hairstyle. This is to her what the blonde hair is to Sisqo or Mary J Blige. There is nothing to it for the naked eye, but it etches her presence into your consciousness so that every time you see her, you cannot mistake her with anyone else.

That look is linked with her elegant dress sense which is reminiscent of models on the ramp. It is rare to see this singer in something like jeans and a T-shirt. Not that she doesn’t have that side to her, it’s just that she keeps it hidden.

This understanding of branding has seen her attract the attention of advertising agencies who seek her out as a model, though you’d never see her on a runway as her thing is singing.

After 12 years of making feel-good African soul music, and with an upcoming album, it is only right that Lira shares with us the secrets behind her success. This will happen through the docureality series called Lira: Dream Chaser USA. Just last week we published a story about the return of Dineo Ranaka whose reality show, Dineo’s Diary, is back for another season. Several other people including Kelly Khumalo, Nonhle Thema and Mandoza have flirted with reality TV, but no one has quite succeeded like Ranaka. Well, until the arrival of Lira.

What we know from information in the public domain is that Lira travels extensively and that can make for good footage. One of Lira’s highlights in the recent past was the launch of her album, Rise Again, in the US. This is what Lira: Dream Chaser USA is about. We will see the South African songbird attempt to live the elusive American dream.

She is entitled to dream that big because not only did the multiple award-winner capture the South African dream, she grasped the African one, too. She has a large following in a number of European countries so logically the US is the next big challenge for her.

“Dream Chaser is the raw and honest portrayal of our personal experiences and what it’s really like to try and ‘crack it’ in the States. Performing in every type of venue from art councils to festivals and clubs, we really got our hands dirty, but we did it all ourselves and I can’t wait to share the journey with all of my current and future fans,” she said.

The show is made into a seven-part series and every episode will take an in-depth historical look at every place Lira and her band, The Love Band, visit. Speaking of the band, we also get to meet the members.

“Dream Chaser USA is the perfect vehicle to take the Lira brand to new heights, and what excites me most about this production is that our local distributor has already entered into advanced discussions with inter-national channels to have the show seen by audiences across the globe,” said Lira’s manager and husband, Robin Kohl.

Lira: Dream Chaser USA premieres on March 31 on Fox HD (DStv channel 125) at 8.35pm.