Cape Town - SA’s current house and pop queen Lady Zamar will be spoiling her Cape Town fans with a double dose of her chart-topping hits.
Born Yamikani Banda, the singer is part of the Huawei KDay line-up, the biggest music festival in the Western Cape, which takes place at the Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville on March 2.
She joins a stellar list of performers including Mi Casa, Goodluck, Craig Lucas, Kurt Darren, Youngsta CPT, The Kiffness, DJ Kent, Majozi, Pascal & Pearce ft. Jethro Tait, Dr Victor & The Rasta Rebels, Timo ODV, Jamali, Chad Saaiman and Yanga.
Lady Zamar is also scheduled to take to the stage with international RnB singer Tamia at the A Track, Green Point Stadium today.
“I am super nervous but also super excited,” said Lady Zamar when Weekend Argus caught up with her this week. The singer admits she was clueless that organisers of the event had even considered her.
“This is the biggest music show so it’s an honour for me to be a part of this event, and to share the stage with some of the biggest names on the South African music scene.
“For a long time I was in proper disbelief. My agent called me and said to me ‘you will never believe what happened’. I was in shock for a long time,” she said.
But Lady Zamar is no stranger to the limelight, having shared the stage with legends like Ladysmith Black Mambazo and PJ Powers.
In 2017, she won Song of the Year at the DStv Mzansi Viewers Choice Awards for her song Charlotte, produced by Prince Kaybee. At the 2018 SA Music Awards she won the award for Best Dance Album for her solo album King Zamar.
She was born in Tembisa in Joburg but has made Pretoria her home. Lady Zamar, like other musical trailblazers such as DJ Zinhle, is also a philanthropist and aspiring businesswoman, who is branching out of the entertainment and fashion scenes to develop her Lady Zamar Entertainment brand.
Born of a Zambian father and South African mother, Lady Zamar said she was often confused as a child due to different cultures.
“It was difficult growing up not knowing where I stood in life or which culture I should align myself with. It was not their fault. They fell in love.
“They couldn’t even understand each others’ language when they met and had to communicate in English,” she said.
Lady Zamar says while crowds at KDay can expect hits like Collide and Dreaming, she has new music which she cannot wait to release.
“I have a new song with a sound that people will not expect from me so I am nervous and excited.
“I also hope to have a new album out by Spring but I’m not going to say more about that,” she said.
In her quiet time, she loves to cook and bake.
“My mom was a chef for five years so I learnt everything from her. I am actually a foodie of note,” she said.
Lady Zamar says while she was a student she would use R100 to buy pasta and salad to cook for her friends and these days, while the food budget has increased significantly, she still loves preparing food for her nearest and dearest.
“I cook for my friends at least once a week. I love to see people eat.
“That’s how it was at my mother’s house and now I am the same. The house was always full of people eating,” she said.