This event is part of the 2023 RISING Festival.
Desire Marea’s music is eclectic and avant-garde, but never cold or restless. The KwaZulu-Natal born artist is a founding member of FAKA, a Johannesburg collective known for a strand of vibrant party music cultivated in Durban called gqom. Since going solo Marea’s created a truly singular, ceremonial sound that draws from the music of the Nguni and Ndau people. Their voice can move from a soaring falsetto to a deep-chested growl; their sound traverses from house and trip-hop into harrowing noise experiments, that’ve been compared to late-era Scott Walker. But ultimately Marea’s interested in connection. On the dancey, ‘Tavern Kween’ (which you might recognise from RISING’s hype reel) Marea sings in Zulu:
“Those of us that live in the night/ Find home under disco lights”.
They’re coming to RISING with a six-piece band, a new record and a new single called ‘Be Free’ to share. It’s tender, adventurous, triumphant music for the body and soul.
