Lira (singer)

This article is about a musician. For other uses, see Lira (disambiguation).

Lira
Born
Lerato Moipone Molapo

(1979-03-14) 14 March 1979 (age 45)
Daveyton, Gauteng, South Africa
Spouse
Robin Kohl
​
​
(m. 2009; sep. 2019)​
Musical career
OriginJohannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actress
  • television personality
  • model
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • keyboard
Years active2003–present
Labels
WebsiteOfficial website

Lerato Moipone Molapo (born 14 March 1979), known professionally as Lira, is a South African singer. Her name translates to "love" in Sesotho and she speaks four languages.[citation needed] She is a multi-platinum selling and an 11-time South African Music Award (SAMA)-winning Afro-soul vocalist, who refers to her music as "a fusion of soul, funk, elements of jazz and African."[1]

According to The Star newspaper, Lira is currently considered the foremost adult contemporary female solo artist in South Africa.[citation needed] She has appeared in major ad campaigns and been an ambassador for Audi, Shield, Samsung, MTN and BlackBerry. She has appeared on the covers of more than 30 magazines worldwide.[citation needed]

She lends her time and resources to causes that matter to her the most. She remains active with and has received awards from various grassroots organisations, outreach groups, and advocacy programs such as the Student Sponsorship Programme – which presented her with the Inspiration Award in 2011.[2]

She has also participated in numerous activities for The Southern Africa Trust.[3] In 2015, she was listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the richest female singers in Africa with net worth in excess of $35 million. She was a member of the coaching panel of The Voice South Africa from 2016 to 2019.

  1. ^ Joy Keys chats with South African Singer Lira 03/22 by Joy Keys. Blog Talk Radio (22 March 2011). Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  2. ^ Celebrating 10 Years of SSP – Print Version Archived 25 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Africa.com. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  3. ^ Regional integration can build a better future for young people. southernafricatrust.org (January 2011)