Amandawe Musician Desire Marea Unpacks the Significance of His Sonic Deviation on His Latest Album
…and talks about his live album special this coming may
Hailing from Amandawe Mission and now extending his musical reach overseas, experimental artist Buyani “Desire Marea” Duma continues his journey of stretching the boundaries of what art should be and represent. With his debut offering, Desire – an album with electronic sensibilities, and his sophomore album – On the Being of Romance – inspired by his ancestral calling; Desire’s songwriting poses questions about being, love, and self-discovery.
And with Desire due to give the world a live rendition of his second album at the Market Theatre come May 13th, 2023, we caught up with the muso to share his sentiments about his latest album and plans for the year.
Tell us more about your latest album On the Being of Romance, how exactly it came to life compared to your first album.
Desire: The album, to me, is about learning what it means to be after allowing myself to die. Myself being my ego, myself being my worldly self and its constructs. I had undergone initiation, and the whole crux of everything was about the death of self. So it’s an album that came after the process, and I was just learning how to be again.
Compared to my first album, I would say, I made this with a live band. And all the songs are recorded live and as single takes, whereas the previous album was mostly electronic. And I think that was, you know, due to a lot of guidance that I got from my spiritual guides, but also just to push the experimentation part of the music, you know. Trying to make music that retains the soul of the song.
You’ll be bringing On the Being of Romance to life, with a debut live show. Tell us more about the live show and the significance of having it.
Desire: I’m very excited to be presenting the live debut of the album and it is definitely a pivotal moment in my career, as a whole, to put on a show like that. Because I think for the first time, I’m going to be able to showcase what it means to be me. As an artist, for the very first time, I’m going to share and invite the audience into my world and have some control about, you know, what that looks and feels like. So it’s quite important to me, and also a huge honour to do it at the Market Theatre, being this institution that has kind of incubated the power of the black voice historically. And I’m doing it at the John Kani Theatre, which is a huge honour for me. I’m excited to let people enjoy and experience the music the way it’s truly meant to be experienced.
Recording On the Being of Romance, you said it was your ancestors who guided you in the process and that it ensured that the soul carried through. How different do you think the experience will be playing for a live audience versus just creating music to be released for mass consumption?
Desire: I expect the experience to be quite similar but maybe with a lot more dimension that is missing when you’re listening to it on record, even though I did try. With the guidance of my ancestors, I tried to retain the essence of the soul of the music. I did try, but it will never actually be the same. And so with experiencing it live, I hope that people can actually be invited into that moment because the music will also be taking place right there and then, in front of them and with them, because they are part of the room and therefore part of the music. So I hope that they can be open to that experience and I hope they enjoy it.
The live performance will be giving the audience an “exclusive take” on the album. Could you walk us through that and share what novelties your followers could come across during the show?
Desire: I think that the exclusive takes will probably be the entire album experience live for the very first time, which I think is kind of the most exclusive it can get. But there will be special guests who I will announce as time goes on. And there will be a bit of throwbacks as well for those who didn’t get to experience the first album live. I think there’ll be some moments from that, but I won’t necessarily say which tracks.
Looking at the soundscape of modern music as well as your peers, how well do you feel you have carved a place for yourself, and what do you think you can do differently with your music (that’s if you wish to apply changes)?
Desire: I’ve definitely carved a space for myself in the music industry and the space that only I can occupy. I think that’s attributed to, maybe, my fearlessness as an individual and as an artist, to actually sound like myself and make the music that I’m called to create without trying to fit into what the sonic landscape is at the time. And a lot of musicians who I respect have always done that, and I don’t think it’s a new space. I think this space exists because of other artists, legends who really fought battles that we benefit from. Legends like Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Princess Magogo, and so many other people in history who have contributed to the institution of South African music. So I occupy that space because of them, but now I have the freedom to be myself and have my stamp. And within that space, I think there’s nothing I would change musically. I think what I’m more invested in is the business around my music. I’m very keen to be a better businessman. When it comes to music, I think that is something that has lacked in myself and many other artists. So I’d like to rectify that.
Are there any artists you’ve had your eyes on that you wish to collaborate with it for future projects?
Desire: I would love to make a song with Ami Faku. I feel like she’s got such a soulful voice, and she’s very sincere. So that’s one person. I’d like to make a song with Msaki and Tubatsi [Moloi]. So, yeah, for now, those are the people who I’d like to make songs with.
After bringing your album to life live on stage, what are your plans? Are any new albums or singles on the way?
Desire: I will be touring Australia in June. I’m soon to announce that and after, I will be releasing new music actually. I just finished a couple of nice songs that are coming later on in the year. So keep your eyes open.
Any special message you have for your fans you wish to share?
Desire: I just want to say thank you to my fans because they are true fans, and they engage in my work. They give my work the depth that I’ve always dreamed of, and I truly, truly appreciate that. Please continue being patrons of artistic excellence so that it doesn’t die down. You know, I think it’s quite a dire space for that right now. With the lacking audience and the lacking infrastructure to make sure that artistic excellence thrives in this country. So when fans support me and when they buy my music, and when they go deep and engage it, it reflects and I appreciate it and it touches me deeply. So, what I want to say is thank you.
Listen to On the Being of Romance: