Two months ago Desire Marea blessed us with the release of their “Tavern Kween” music video. Directed by Allison Swank, the video off of their self-titled album, Desire, “belongs to Mary Magdalene of murky ecstasies —an embodiment of the spiritual and sensual gyrating and alive in the modern world.” As I write in my piece, Desire’s ‘Tavern Kween’ | Magdalene of murky ecstasies:
Desire’s self-titled solo debut is an intricate exploration of loss, displacement and the terrifying manifestations of love in the contemporary world. Its expansive exploration of spirituality and the divine is palpable and skilfully interlaces snapshots from decidedly grounded human experiences — serving as a captivating introduction to their singular and multi-faceted world. Inspiration for the song came through Desire’s aunts — Feminist Killjoys who defied patriarchal convention — finding freedom and empowerment in what were spaces usually dominated by men in their hometown of Amandawe in KwaZulu Natal.
Now the artist and musician who creates and exists in abundant spaces of multiplicity, has added another layer to “Tavern Kween”, with a Griffit Vigo Remix of the song. The remix is set to be released by Mute — a record label Desire recently signed to — with a vinyl edition of the album also set to be released through the label.
Now based in Durban, South Africa, Desire — named Buyani Duma upon birth — was a founding member of Johannesburg collective FAKA. As FAKA, Desire Marea and creative partner Fela Gucci, toured the world extensively making their American debut scoring for the brand Telfar at NYFW, going on to achieve icon status by partnering with Versace to soundtrack their S/S 2019 menswear show before being included in the Vogue World 100 and Dazed 100 lists.
From the introverted exploration of intoxicating album opener “Self Centre” and the galloping beats and operatic crescendo of “Zibuyile Izimmakade” — the expansive exploration of spirituality and the divine on Desire is palpable, and skilfully interlaces snapshots from decidedly grounded human experiences.
Listen to Griffit Vigo’s Tavern Kween exclusively below!
