COVER: “Prepare To Be Sick of Me”: Lady Zamar Conquers Cancel Culture & Chaos With Compassion
Never has the story of a phoenix pulling itself back together and coming back stronger from the ashes been as glorious as the return of Lady Zamar.
From the Sjava rape allegation scandal to the devastating aftermath of being sentenced by the social media jury, the past several years have been anything but easy for the Tembisa-born nightingale. Born Yamikani Janet Banda, the dance music songbird has been on a quest, searching for that spark to reignite the fire for her music.
The spark manifested as her latest single, “World’s Gone Crazy”, released on 5 May 2023. The single cover depicts the twenty-seven-year-old staring intensely beyond the cover while surrounded by a wildfire and a mob holding up boards referencing her being cancelled. Like the life cycle of a protea flower, the flames around her are merely a symbol of her rebirth.
“The song is an acceptance of the world in the sense that it’s not perfect. Every morning since COVID started, all I’ve seen is bad news. And if it’s not the actual world around me going crazy, then it’s my personal life in shambles. Having to deal with watching my hard work ridiculed by people who don’t know me personally because of false narratives. And through all of that craziness, I found hope, joy, and love,” the singer-songwriter said about the song’s significance.
Crediting her mother for carrying her with prayers during the tough times, the songstress’s return sees her channel that nurturing spirit, cradling her listeners with messages of resilience and love in her music.
Brushing the Dirt Off Her Shoulders and Getting Back Up
Through the saga of the complications of her past relationship and having to endure seeing her music put on hold and her image under scrutiny, Yamikani has been patient. And one thing she has been taking comfort in is the gift of perspective. The understanding that even though everyone is entitled to what they feel and think, that in itself isn’t necessarily the truth.
Taking refuge in writing songs for herself and protecting her mental health from cyberbullying, she continues to live out her truth and refuses to let people invalidate her experiences. Her response to online critics and trolls has been one of grace and compassion.
“I accept that sometimes, as artists, we become outlets just as much as we are the bringers of joy through our music. We are beacons of hope. We also have to accept the fact that because we hold those positions in society, people will sometimes use us to work out their frustration. I think people should be allowed to work out the feeling. Maybe what we need as a continent and as a country is more education on how to have social media etiquette,” she said.
Spreading Love One Musical Chord At a Time
Much like a protea, the fire that should’ve consumed the crooner is now the same one spreading more of her seeds, giving her new life. Making music from the beat of her soul, Banda acknowledges that she’s no longer the same woman she was on her first two albums but will continue penning songs that feel like something straight from a fairytale storybook.
“If you hear my songs, I want you to think of a beautiful garden with the most magnificent flowers. I want you to think of the rainbow. I want you to think about a club where everybody’s dancing and having so much fun. I want you to think of a utopia. I want you to be in that because the world is hard enough as it is. We don’t need that many bad thoughts. I’m just not that person. I’m pretty sure if I attempted to make the world’s saddest song, it would have elements of love because that’s how I feel on the inside daily,” the SAMA-winning vocalist said, speaking about the driving force behind her music.
Her sophomore and last full-length album, Monarch, dropped in 2019. The dance album drew inspiration from hip-hop, jazz, and soul to realise the full strength of Zamar’s capabilities, as was already evident in her debut King Zamar (2017). Her music has won prestigious accolades and a multitude of hearts with storytelling ranging from fortuitous love (‘Collide’) and prayer-like ballads (‘My Baby’) to self-acceptance (‘Fat Girl’) and social consciousness (‘Delaware’).
The Next Coming of Lady Zamar
After whetting the appetite of her followers with her four-track EP Royal Flush in October 2022, “World’s Gone Crazy” foreshadows a full return to music and form for Banda. Even though she’s been relatively inactive compared to her past seasons, the creative juices have still been flowing, according to her. She just hasn’t been moved to hit the studio. However, 2023 is shaping up to be a new dawn for the “Charlotte” singer, citing that she’s in a better head space than ever to share new music.
“This year, there’s going to be a lot of me. Prepare to be sick of me! I’m excited to share the energy with everybody because I am generally happy. And I’m hoping I can share a little bit of joy with the people around me and with my friends through the music,” she said about her plans for music this year.
With the fire having died down and with the germination process already underway, there’s nothing but the blossoming season on the horizon for Zamar. And for her, getting back up isn’t about “vendettas” and “revenge” but about the celebration of being happy people in a world that is falling apart.
