22-05-2025
‘I set very strong boundaries for myself' - Lady Zamar channels life lessons into powerful music
Despite any controversy that may have followed her she remains unshaken.
She's best known for her smile and soothing voice - with a career spanning multiple hit singles and albums that have earned her a loyal fan base.
Yamikani Janet Banda a.k.a Lady Zamar is a South African singer-songwriter and house vocalist, she hails from Thembisa and grew up in Mamelodi, Pretoria.
Lady Zamar rose to fame in 2011 when she was still a duo with Junior Taurus, their debut album 'Cotton Candy' was released in 2015. This album garnered the spotlight ultimately laying the foundation for Lady Zamar's solo career.
Her first solo album 'King Zamar,' debuted in 2017, solidifying her status as a solo artist and swiftly earned gold and double platinum certification. Following this accomplishment, her second album 'Monarch,' further showcased her musical ability and flexibility. And she has been releasing more hit songs and albums since then, including her latest single 'Russian Roulette.'
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In a conversation with DRUM, Lady Zamar described this chapter of her life as creative and embracing whatever's in store for her.
'I think I'm focused on global appeal right now, and I'm focused on repositioning myself as a storyteller, that tells stories that are relevant to people right now. This new chapter is about me being a visionary as well, in terms of taking risks in the music and taking risks in the type of stories that I'm telling as well.'
Speaking on new music she says that her new sound is a result of having learnt to trust her voice and storytelling
'My first single, Russian Roulette, really encapsulates that I am in a more playful spirit, but it's still a place of speaking, writing and creating music from a place of understanding, reflection, and I'm just in a place where I'm willing to embrace what's coming,' she explained.
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Lady Zamar also shared some valuable lessons she's learned from her past relationships and how they've influenced her music and personal growth.
'I've become more aware of who I am. I no longer just give people the space to just come in and out of my life as they will, and that has translated into music the same way, I don't allow people to tell me how I should live my life, in terms of how I should write the kind of stories I put out. I'm not allowing anyone to shape my narrative for me. I'm doing it myself and I'm allowing myself the freedom and the grace that I expect other people to give me, and I give them that grace as well.'
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She says that in order to bring balance into her life, she separates her true self from the brand that she has created.
'The most effective way of doing it for me is to switch off. I switch off anything and everything. I treat my work as work. I treat my brand as work. As much as it's a very big part of who I am as a person, it is a part that I don't live 24-7. I allow myself to spend time with family, with friends. I do stuff that makes me happy. I'm very quick with enjoying my life, basically. I also don't allow myself to be too concerned about people's opinions of me.
'There's a saying that I recently learned, 'if you can't take advice from someone, don't take criticism from them.' If a person can't give me any valuable advice and any valuable insight into something that I'm busy with or doing, I don't usually pay attention to them. I respect everyone's opinion. However, I don't allow them to penetrate into the innermost parts of me and affect my work. I set very strong boundaries for myself, my team, my family, and also the people that I consider family, which are my fans.'
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'Honestly, if it doesn't make me feel good whether it's something that requires a lot of concentration or a lot of pressure, or something that requires for me to indulge or to engage in it more, I will still apply myself without allowing myself to get overrun by that activity itself.'
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Lady Zamar has also shared some of her fondest milestones with us.
'What I'm most proud of, is the brand that I have. I'm very proud of the work that has been put into it. I think a lot of people have contributed to who I am and where I am today. Even those whose relationships I no longer have or whose favour I no longer have, and those who do not have my favour either, everything for me has been monumental. You lose some, you win some, but if you look at everything as a lesson and if you allow yourself to see the good in what someone has brought, even if it's not nice, you get to appreciate the whole of you. The reputation that I have as a performer, I'm very, very proud of that and I'm grateful for it,' she giggled.
The process of creating her latest single, 'Russian Roulette' was tedious and fun she says.
'Russian Roulette is a single from an upcoming album. It's going to be out later on in the year. The process of creating it was kind of simple; I wanted to create a song that was fun and simple. I wanted to be able to dance to it first, you know? I like to be the first person to experiment with my own sound.'
She is excited about the album she will be releasing.
'I've been recording this particular album for over a year now in terms of recording, mixing, and mastering. So, this is the first of a beautiful body of work that I hope you guys will enjoy later on in the year,' she smiled.
