Palesa Desiree Shilabje, known more widely as Desiree, has always been a maverick. Growing up in Ivory Park, Johannesburg, she spent her adolescence ingesting the alternative sounds of Nick Cave and Radiohead in an environment where dance music was status quo. As a university student, she became a fanatic raver in a male-dominated house music scene. Now as a DJ, she travels the world, shutting down festivals from Tomorrowland to Glastonbury with a soundscape that fails to be pinned down. Her expansive palette has seen her share lineups with the likes of Adam Port, Black Coffee, Skepta and De Capo, and she’ll soon be wowing crowds at Coachella 2025.

Desiree’s ascension has been meteoric since she began to embrace DJing as a career in 2021. The following year she turned producer with the release of her debut EP ‘Femme Tech’, followed by her remix of ‘Thrrr… Phaa!’ by Selaelo Selota. And this November, she dropped the single ‘Intersexy’ EP, a transcendental afro house ode to the beauty that comes with being different, inspired by Desiree’s identity as an intersex woman. Complete with ethereal vocals from Jabulile Majola, a dazzling piano running through its eponymous track, and cover art inspired by Grace Jones and Esther Mahlangu, ‘Intersexy’ is her boldest work yet.

After a whirlwind year of shows spanning over 12 countries, Desiree is back in Africa and ready to showcase the beauty of her EP to continental audiences. The tour will see her perform in Johannesburg, Lagos, Cape Town and Kilifi, with a number of these sets under the umbrella of her radical event collective MMiNO. As her tour kicks off, we sit down to discuss the ethos behind her music.

What made you fall in love with DJing?

From a very young age, I had a very peculiar connection with music, always being curious and digging for sounds. My friends at high school used to call me a weirdo because I listened a wide range of music that they didn’t understand. Fast forward to uni, I started going out and finally having the opportunity to experience dance music in a club setting. So, I fell in love with the music as a raver first and foremost. And because I already had that natural inclination for collecting music and putting it together, I started to do the same with house music and it just organically grew.

How did you navigate the transition from Djing in South Africa to iconic venues like Ibiza’s DC10 and LA’s Sound Nightclub?

In South Africa, the makeup of the DJs in house music tends to be very male-dominated so that trickles down to the audience as well. So, when I was still a raver, I guess I stood out because people weren’t used to seeing a woman enjoying the music that much. Naturally, I started to develop a community with the other house heads at the front and with the other DJs that were playing. They started to know me because I was a superfan. That visibility helped me get to the next level of playing gigs and taking this thing seriously. And that’s why I started to open for Black Coffee so early in my career. It was also a time where the world was becoming more interested in South African music. As I was on the rise, and one of the only women championing the afro house sound, which worked in my favour. So here I am. Touring the world.

What made you decide to begin making your own music?

I always wanted to get into production but it can be a very intimidating thing to venture into, especially as a woman. But I don't care about the haters, so I took it upon myself to learn. The thing that spearheaded it for me was the pandemic. I couldn't tour or travel so I started to collaborate. I have a lot of producer friends in South Africa so going into the studio with them to see how they do it really helped. Plus, I used the University of YouTube! From a technical perspective, that's how I started.

What message are you trying to send with new release, ‘Intersexy’?

I have a wide array of influences so with production, I want to show that side of me. To show that I'm not just into this one afro house sound that people naturally expect of me as a Black South African woman. So, with ‘Intersexy’, I’m just being my authentic self; I’m not ticking any boxes or making music with a specific goal in mind. Because a lot of producers have pressure to make a song that's a dance floor banger, or that emulates the producers at the top, which means a lot of experimentation has been squashed in the house scene these days. I've always been a bit different and I think ‘Intersexy’ puts that out there into the world.

Why has it been important to use your music to advocate for the identities and communities that you hold dear?

First and foremost, I would like to give visibility to the underrepresented. To the weirdos. To the people who are marginalised in society, because I am one of those people and I know how it feels. I think representation is very important. I hope that me being proud of how different I am can inspire others to be themselves.

More specifically, with my intersex identity, that's what the EP is inspired by - me navigating the world as an intersex woman. It's an important topic for me to speak on because there are a lot of misconceptions. I know how it felt when I found out at the age of 21, as an adult, and didn’t know of any other person in the public sphere who's intersex. It made me feel very alone. Now that I have this little platform, I speak on the issue so that some intersex queen out there can find solidarity and not feel like they are an alien. Because we're not. It's a natural variation that exists in the animal kingdom. People just don't know about it.

You’ve taken this dedication to carving out spaces for diverse expression to the next level with MMiNO. What inspired you to create this event series?

I wanted to create a space where I could be my authentic self as a DJ. I play a lot of festivals, and I play a lot of supporting slots for bigger DJs. That can restrict you, especially as a South African DJ who's used to not playing so aggressively. So, I’ve built a community of music lovers that give me the freedom to do whatever I want as an artist. Secondly, I wanted to provide the platform for other DJs that are also a bit left-leaning. MMiNO is for people who are into alternative sounds, in addition to the usual stuff that we love. It's important for me to prioritise DJs that wouldn't necessarily have certain opportunities, in the lineups that I book.

It’s clear that fashion also plays a big role in how you express yourself as a creative. Do you see style as another medium through which you can communicate?

Yes, absolutely. I love fashion. As a kid, I was binge-watching runway shows, deconstructing collections. It's always been a huge passion of mine. So now, I exhibit that on stage to bring a little drama. Not all the time, because I travel a lot and I try to travel light. But for special occasions, I really like to bring the drama. I like to bring colour and wear things that stand out. The world is our runway and it's a bit more exciting when your outfit is fabulous.

What are you looking forward to most throughout your ongoing Africa tour?

I'm looking forward to playing my new songs. I'm also curious, especially in the Lagos context. There are a lot of new collectives there that really push electronic music. So, I'm really excited to see the kind of community that they have built and to see how the scene there has developed. It's my second time playing in Lagos, the first time I played was three years ago. So that’s a gig that I’m really looking forward to.