Following a five-year hiatus and personal setbacks, Lady Zamar is relishing the opportunity to reintroduce herself, with “Rainbow”.
The 12-track album, which was released last month, is her latest offering since 2019’s “Monarch”.
“On a personal level, I have just become more myself and my music has also become more authentic and more honest,” the artist, whose real name is Yamikani Banda, said.
The album, which exudes a delightful sense of playfulness and is infused with heartfelt lyrics and vibrant melodies, has the Gauteng-born artist feeling like an industry newcomer.
“I really loved my albums, such as ‘King Zamar’ and ‘Monarch’, but I do think there was a lot of pressure and there was a lot of things that I did in the musical space that kind of made me feel like I had to do them for people.
“But with “Rainbow”, it feels like the way it did when I created my first solo album, where there were no expectations, people didn't know what to expect and I was just making music because I loved it, and that’s how I feel right now.”
“Rainbow” explores musical themes such as love, empowerment and resilience, which is evident in tracks like “Work for It”, “Colours” and “Deeper”, which features Megadrumz.
The album’s title track, “Party in Heaven”, is a vibrant and melodic dance song.
“This album is a happy, joyful and hopeful album but it's also fresh, not just for me, but also for my fans.
“When I got into the studio, it was a new type of production team and we would work in such a great and synergistic way where every sound would feel brand-new and it felt so real and so authentic.”
“Rainbow” was also a way for Zamar to artistically narrate what she has been going through for the past few years, including undergoing multiple vocal surgeries and starting again from scratch midway through the musical process.
“In terms of the album’s themes, it's just me mapping out my story.
“There’s no agenda; it’s just what has transpired in the past couple of years, things I have thought about, things I really enjoyed and the things I have rejoiced in.”
And while Zamar’s latest music showcases her signature style, she also explores new sonic territories which includes a fusion of genres, from house and dance music to pop and amapiano.
But the 33-year-old has simplified all these things into a single element: “In terms of the musical genres, it’s just dance music.
“At the end of the day, dance is what makes the world go around. It stays at the forefront of entertainment and the environment that it creates, where you have these happy hormones, was the feeling that I was chasing.
“In terms of production, I chose beats, production and composers that would bring that out.”
Fans have sang Zamar’s praises since “Rainbow” was released, which has made her feel “happy and humbled”.
“There are a lot of feelings but I am just grateful that people are actually listening and that they are honouring it, and I just hope that more and more people discover the music.”
Although she was “scared and nervous” about the album’s release, the songstress is also thrilled to have made new music.
“I know that the past is the past and this is a new chapter,” she said.
Zamar also acknowledged that putting a project of this magnitude together was not always plan sailing.
“The difficulty was just in finding the right feelings, the right songs, filtering what I wanted to talk about and filtering the themes that I wanted to discuss, so it was quite a challenging album.
“Another challenge was also maybe the time because I do wish that I would have done this sooner.”
Despite her craft being tested while putting “Rainbow” together, Zamar found joy in working on the album.
“The most fulfilling aspect was at the end of every track when we would sit down and listen to the songs and, sometimes, it would feel like I wasn’t the one that created the music and it would feel surreal that I even did.
“Sometimes, I would listen to the way I wrote certain things and I would be in awe of that … and that was the most beautiful part of creating this project.”
Zamar is also determined to forge her own path in the industry and put something unique in the world that people will can relate to.
“I write from a real place, I don’t think I have ever fit the status quo, I don't think I have ever fit what artists are perceived to be and so, I think that there is this disconnect about what people expect and what people hear from me and I think that what people hear gives them a certain sense of connection.
“There is also a lot that is said and there are a lot of perceptions, but a lot of that is my voice and my music is my voice, and I think people connect with that.”