South African singer Lira returned to the stage this weekend with her one-woman show Lira: Still Here on Sunday, 18 April at The Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City in Johannesburg.
The sold-out performance marked her first appearance at the venue in six years.
“It’s been six years since I’ve performed at the Lyric Theatre,” she said.
“I love the fact that it offers the intimacy I’d like for the show,” she added.
The show featured performances of some of her well-known songs, including Feel Good, as well as material from her reworked collection Lira Rise Again – The Reworked Hits Collection.
More than a concert
Lira said the show represented more than a concert. She described it as a reflection of recovery and resilience following her health challenges.
During the show, she spoke about her recovery after suffering a stroke in March 2022 while in Germany. The stroke affected her ability to speak, read and write.
She told the audience that singing played a role in her rehabilitation.
“I was singing two years back and it improved my talking and it loosened my tongue so I could speak faster,” she said.
She said the performance forms part of her ongoing recovery process.
“I’m not afraid to be seen trying,” she said. “This is life for me now.”
‘Stroke saved my life’
Lira said the experience shifted her outlook on life, adding that it saved her life.
“I could feel something in me calling me home. I wasn’t depressed and I had no anxiety. I was joyful,” she said.
“So I recognised my stroke as a blessing. It taught me to pause, to smell the roses, to recognise how much I’m loved.
“It had nothing to do with witchcraft. It was meant to happen to me because I was too busy. I needed to pause. The stroke saved my life.”
Lira said she is continuing to regain physical and vocal strength and is preparing new music.
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