Singer Lira opens up about healing and return to stage after stroke
Singer Lira has opened up about her journey of healing and gratitude, more than three years after suffering a stroke that changed her life.
The Wa Mpaleha hitmaker was on tour in Frankfurt, Germany, in March 2022 when the health scare struck, leaving her with speech difficulties.
Doctors later confirmed that she had developed aphasia, a language disorder that affects communication.
What followed was a long road of therapy and recovery in South Africa.
Speaking about the difficult process of regaining her speech, Lira revealed that she had to start with the basics.
“I had to learn the alphabet and how to put simple words together, like ‘cat, hello, apple,’ and use those words to form a sentence,” she said.
Despite the frustration and slow pace of her recovery, she explained that the experience shifted her outlook on life.
“Slowing down made me appreciate the progress I was making. It filled me with gratitude, it filled me with joy, and I was excited to see my progress.”
In May 2025, Lira marked one year since officially returning to the stage, a milestone she does not take for granted.
Now stronger and back doing what she loves, she is booked for major festivals later this year, including the DStv Delicious Festival in September, as well as the Business Premium Jazz Festival, where she will share the stage with Afro-soul stars Amanda Black and Thandiswa Mazwai.