REVIEW | ‘A new dawn’: Lady Zamar’s ‘Rainbow’ an album of resilient healing

JOHANNESBURG - Lady Zamar has made a much-anticipated musical comeback, half a decade later, with an album titled Rainbow.

This marks her third solo album.

The Tembisa-born artist, whose real name is Yamikani Janet Banda, spent several years away from the music scene but has certainly stayed in the spotlight during her musical hiatus.

She said she spent the last five years in recovery following vocal surgeries which left her unable to sing, make a musical note, or speak.

“I spent the whole of 2020 in hospital. [I spent] 2021 trying to recover my singing voice”.

The award-winning singer-songwriter recalled the disturbing realisation of possibly not being able to sing again being a horrible experience because it left her unable to simply hum to herself, as she usually does.

She had to rely on an app to communicate with people.

“That was really hard, because it’s not just music that goes away, [even] just socialising. You don’t have anything else. It kind of takes away your identity, because I think of myself as a communicator, and now I can’t communicate, and I have to find new ways.”

But despite the challenges, she said the adjustment was incredibly life-changing. 
This five-year hiatus also brought about an unplanned period of rest, which she said helped put things in perspective for her.

“Being an artist, you are praised a lot; you’re constantly put on a pedestal. You need to unplug so that you can remember who you are, where you’re from [and] who and what is important to you. You also need a break from the constant up and down. It’s a lot," Lady Zamar said.

SKILL AND DELIGHT

She called Rainbow a new chapter in her musical narrative, as she explores new heights in her capabilities as a singer and songwriter.

During the hiatus, she spent time with various producers trying to establish the right sound. It wasn’t until last year that she decided to create something musically different, and not what she thought she was expected to do. This is what led to her working with duo Mega Drumz.

"The album exudes a delightful sense of playfulness, skilfully expressed through each track’s delivery,” her team said in a statement. 

The 12-track album certainly boasts unmissable musical and vocal growth, while still amplifying the commercial house musical element that audiences fell in love with when they were first introduced to her through her collaborations with Junior Taurus - around 2015/2016.

If anything, the sounds build on that, while also masterfully incorporating the home-brewed global staple amaPiano, and some elements of pop.

“I think the biggest theme is a new start; a new dawn for yourself as a person. The underlying themes are different perspectives; exploring different points of view, a different mindset and trying out different things,” she said.

'I'M NOT AFRAID'

The album delves into themes of love, empowerment, and resilience. Zamar said her writing had evolved to come from a place of complete self-awareness, symbolising a continuous journey of self-discovery and healing.

“I’m not afraid anymore; there’s nothing that scares me anymore. I think all the possible scenarios that I was afraid of as an artist have literally played out in the last five years. The failure, hatred, disdain, disregard, resentment, misunderstanding, isolation, being shunned, being a pariah – all of that has played out,” she said.

Prior to the release of her much-anticipated album, she released the first single from the body of work titled Work For It in March.

The single boldly encourages women to understand and appreciate that their value is not attached to material gains.

“It’s more about allowing people to work hard for your attention and for your time,” she added.

While most musicians struggle to pick their favourite songs from a project, she says Starlight and Blame Game are certainly her current favourites. Vulnerability is the theme for Starlight, while Blame Game is about someone she knew who was a side chick.

Lady Zamar is no stranger to controversy, following allegations she made in 2019 that her former lover, Sjava, raped her. The matter made it to court, but the National Prosecuting Authority dismissed the case in 2020, due to lack of evidence. Despite this conclusion, the issue continued to sow divisions amongst social media users. 

The singer announced that fans could expect a documentary to dispel some misconceptions that people had about her. She said that while she was a private person who did not reveal much about her personal life, the documentary was an opportunity for her to own her story, and give audiences a personal account of what the past several years have been like, in her own words. 

Speaking on what people would be surprised to learn about her through the documentary, she said: “I think a sneak peek unto my everyday life and the people who are close to me. I don’t think there’s ever been a time where I’ve posted a friend, my mom… No one’s ever seen these people in my life. And also, the backstories to some of these things that have been circulating on social media.”

Zamar says she hoped that audiences’ biggest takeaway was ownership.

“Own your own narrative, own your life.”

She encouraged a deep introspection of self to confront any kind of discomfort they feel or experience, while also creating boundaries; to not be dictated to by the world.

“I just want people to have hope. To look at me and know that everything that’s meant to break you is actually your decision. Find yourself in a place where you’re safest in every single storm, and have hope that whatever happens, you’ll get to a place where it’s going to stop. I think a lot of people give up too soon, and I want people to not give up. And Rainbow for me is saying ‘Don’t give up. Have hope’,” she said.

Rainbow is available for streaming on all digital streaming platforms.