Publications
Partners
- Lira, real name Lerato Molapo, made a surprise return to the stage over the weekend.
- She serenaded the crowd at the recently held Rand Merchant Bank Starlight Classics event after being spotted in the crowd by Katlego Maboe.
- Her return to the stage comes as she recovers from a stroke she suffered in April 2022 in Germany.
South African songbird Lira, real name Lerato Molapo, made a surprise return to the stage at the recently held Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) Starlight Classics event in Johannesburg. Her return to stage comes as she recovers from a stroke she suffered in April 2022 while in Germany for a show.
Lira joined Sunnyboy Dladla and Masabane Rangwanasha on stage after being spotted by Katlego Maboe in the crowd.
It was not the first time the three took to the stage. They previously performed together at the same RMB event in Cape Town in 2018 before the stroke.
"I had a stroke last year, and I've been learning to speak and in no way ready to sing, but I'm willing to try," she said before serenading the cheerful crowd.
Sharing the video on social media, she wrote: "This was so surreal. I was keen to try – but I did it."
"There's still a long way to go before I can sing on my own, let alone sing at a full concert, but this [is] a very positive step in my recovery. I've been singing to loosen up my tongue; it has helped me to speak better, and I do it as part of my recovery," she continued.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
In July, the singer bravely spoke publicly for the first time in a radio interview with Radio 702's Relebogile Mabotja.
"People have been asking me to share my story, and I wasn't ready because I couldn't talk. I wasn't ready to speak in a conversation, but now I am ready," Lira said about speaking publicly.
However, her road to recovery has not always been smooth. Six months after the stroke, Lira revealed she was diagnosed with aphasia – a language disorder caused by damage in a specific area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension.
