South African Miss Lira to open Spring Festival

South African sensation Miss Lira will open the 2014 Spring Festival – also taking place in Beirut – when she takes to the stage in Cairo at Prince Taz Palace on 24 April and El-Geneina Theatre on 26 April. Born in Johannesburg, Miss Lira says she is influenced by Miriam Makeba, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone. At the young age of 16, she started writing her own songs and performing live, and continued over the next 10 years to build her international career. Now considered a multi-platinum selling, award-winning vocalist, she refers to her music as "a fusion of soul, funk and elements of jazz and African music." In 2009, she won two awards at the South African Music Awards – Best Female Artist and Album of the Year. She was the only African singer to take part in US President Barak Obama's inauguration ceremony in 2013. This year's Spring Festival is set to bring many performances of music, dance, theatre, cinema as well as workshops to both Cairo and Beirut. Along with the festival visual arts exhibition, Redzone Festival will also be hosted. This year's line up includes: El-Rass (Lebanon), Badiaa Bouhrizi (Tunisia), Nawal (Comoros Islands) among many others from African and the Middle East. Source: Ahram Online