Desire Marea

[A Luta C**t Noir pt.1]

The blessings from this evening still reverberate in the chambers of my soul. You affirmed us so generously, nasenza abantu and I’m so grateful for that, Zimakade ezinhle 🖤

I love South African music, I love Africa, I love Black people and Blackness itself. My praxis as an experimental songwriter and composer has always been about channeling the different influences from different music cultures produced by black people. I love to express it all within one song, sometimes in one phrase, with a polyphonic quality that has become a hallmark in the music we’ve developed over the years as Izimakade. My favourite part about engaging sound in this way is knowing that the sonics carry politics and certain elements can carry very specific geographies and lineaments that, when combined, can feel like seeing two people who you’d never expect to be in a room together, which to me mirrors the experience of being q***r in the world. Specifically q***rness as it is conceptualised within the spiritual vernacular that is “Izimakade”.

I had the honour of working with the icon who choreographed the show with this in mind. He is a genius. He pulled from the Apostolic and Nazareth Churches, he pulled from the club, from the ballroom, from pantsula to Gqom, combining all these movements in ways that pronounced the complexity of the music as an extension of the complexity of blackness. We were joined by the super talented .za and together we brought this to life. I’m so humbled by the love and dedication from both of you.

On musical direction, you don’t even have to guess, we had aka the most talented person I know. The one person who always hears it but also sees it as clearly. I’m super grateful for your love, faith, and gift.

Thank you to ***rtopiaza for doing such a revolutionary thing. “Queertopia” as a concept alone is just so inspiring but when it’s combined with the love and care that run this festival with, it becomes a force that really shifts reality in the ways we need it to. It is such an honour to be part of this history. Thank you .an.d.__ and 🖤

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