AM: Other than people you’re with now, if you could get any musician, living or dead, who would be in your “Dream Band?”
LIRA: Probably John Mayer, I absolutely love the beauty and simplicity of his compositions. Would love to have him play guitar for me.
AM: You look gorgeous for a singer. Will you consider a career in acting if you had a chance?
LIRA: I’ve actually already co-starred in the film The Italian Consul, which premiered at several film festivals in Italy. I played the role of “Palesa” opposite Italian actress Giuliana de Sio. The film focused on human trafficking and was shot in Cape Town.
AM: You’ve delivered 4 platinum plus albums and 1 platinum plus DVD with Sony Africa. What’s next for Lira?
LIRA: I’m getting ready to go international. My American audiences are basically meeting me at a point when I’ve had 10 years of a successful music career. I wanted to give them a sense of everything I am. I released the American album Rise Again in June 2012, which was a “best of” album collected from songs off my previous South African releases. I will be releasing a brand new album in 2014 and I’m currently promoting my second live in concert DVD Lira: The Captured Tour.
I have the rare opportunity to enter the world’s largest music market and see if I can transform my appeal to a global offering. It’s a dream I’ve always had and I want to keep myself aligned to specific goals.
AM: You’re planning a Full scale North American tour launch in 2013? Please tell us a little bit about your plan.
LIRA: Actually the tour probably won’t start until 2014. I’m going to head back in the studio next year and record an entirely new album.
AM: North America needs a true African female icon, especially for young girls being born in the diaspora. Could you be the one?
LIRA: We’ll just have to wait and see, nothing is predictable in this music industry. We are doing our best and doing things one step at a time, I have a great U.S. team and time will tell but I’m willing to do the work.