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South Africa Lira has established herself as a multi-platinum selling and award-winning Afro-soul vocalist, evolving from a local Johannesburg artist to an internationally recognized musician and brand ambassador.
Lira was selected as the first South African influencer and first African to formally collaborate with Bobbi Brown Cosmetics for their South African campaign in 2016. She starred in brand campaigns and was an integral part of their local marketing efforts.
Lira has been an ambassador for the automotive brand Audi.
Lira has been an ambassador for the brand Shield.
Lira has been an ambassador for the technology brand Samsung.
Lira has been an ambassador for the telecommunications company MTN.
Lira has been an ambassador for the technology brand BlackBerry.
Lira partnered with Johnnie Walker, aligning with the brand's message of progress and moving beyond music.
Lira made history by having a Barbie doll modeled after her, becoming the first African Barbie doll.
Lerato Moipone Molapo, known professionally as Lira, was born on March 14, 1979, in Daveyton, Johannesburg, South Africa. Her early life was influenced by the apartheid era, and she grew up listening to artists such as Miriam Makeba, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Nina Simone, who later inspired her music. Lira began performing live at the age of 16, singing both cover songs and her own compositions. She pursued an Accounting degree, using her skills to secure recording time for her first demo at 18. After two years in accounting, she resigned to focus on her music career, setting a five-year plan for her artistic development.
Lira’s music career officially began in 2000 when Arthur Mafokate signed her to 999 Music, leading to her debut album, “All My Love,” in 2003. This album quickly garnered awards at the Metro FM Awards, SAMAs, and Channel O Reel Music Awards, with its title track notably surpassing Beyoncé’s “Dangerously in Love” on charts. In 2004, she signed with Sony Music Africa, releasing “Feel Good” in 2006. This album achieved Triple-Platinum status and its title track became the most played local song on radio, also becoming the first South African music video featured on VH-1. Her 2008 album, “Soul in Mind,” earned four South African Music Awards in a single year, also reaching triple-platinum sales, and led to Glamour Magazine South Africa naming her “Woman of the Year.”
In 2009, Lira produced her “Live in Concert: A Celebration” DVD, filmed with 10 RED digital video cameras, a global first. The concert’s telecast reached nine million South African viewers, and the DVD achieved triple-platinum status by November 2010, becoming South Africa’s fastest and highest-selling music video disc in the Sony Music catalog. In 2011, a Blu-ray version was released, marking the first Blu-ray on the African continent. Her fourth studio album, “Return to Love” (2011), went double-platinum, with the hit song “Phakade” achieving triple-platinum. In 2016, she released “Born Free” under her own label, Otarel Music, which quickly achieved gold status, with the single “Let There Be Light” going platinum. Lira has also served as a coach on “The Voice South Africa” from 2016 to 2019.
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