Love Rising: Lira and "Ixesha"

Lira, whose name translates to "love" in the Sesotho language, brings us today's tune, Ixesha. Lira grew up in apartheid South Africa listening to musicians such as Miriam Makeba, Steve Wonder, Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin, and decided she would be a musician. After attending college, she got a job as an accountant and used her skills to record a demo CD. An accountant for two years, she turned in a letter of resignation and devoted herself to a five year plan to make it in music. She was discovered in 2000 by musician/producer Arthur Mafokate. She has since come to be considered South Africa's most prominent adult contemporary artist. Lira describes her music as elements of soul, funk, elements of jazz and African. Ixesha can be found on Lira's 2014 album Rise Again.

Listen to songs like this and more on the KUNM Global Music Show every Monday night from 10 pm - 1 am Mountain Standard Time. Live streaming, program information and the two-week digital archive can be found at http://www.kunm.org.