Those familiar with Buyani Duma (32) from a young age will remember the Amandawe-born youngster, now an international musician under the stage name of Desire Marea, as a shy, timid boy.
Not only is he now a globally acclaimed musician, graphic designer, writer, and sangoma, he has added a music award to his list of accolades.
He was recently awarded the Best Alternative Album at the South African Music Awards (SAMA). He is a global sensation, having recently returned to South Africa after a successful tour with his six-piece band in the UK and Europe, where his music is well received.
After completing his primary schooling at St Francis Primary School in Park Rynie, he followed his passion for art and was accepted at the National School of Arts in Pretoria, where he started studying drawing.
However, once at school, he landed his first acting role in a small play and won his first award. The rest, as they say, is history, and soon he was being cast in numerous roles, including an international film. This is when he decided his path was in the dramatic arts.
By the time he was in matric, he had delved into various school faculties. From fashion to dramatic and visual arts, he then discovered music.
His journey into the music world began during a turbulent phase of his life when he discovered that he was spiritually gifted.
After seven months of training to become a sangoma, his musical ambitions became clearer to him. His music is unlike any music as it is a fusion of different genres encompassed into one.
“Music is what led me to my calling and made me realise that I have a gift. Music came to me at a turbulent time in my life, and it gave me life and a purpose. Winning the SAMA was a surreal moment as it has always been a dream of mine. The award is dedicated to children who are different and who don’t feel included in society. I want to inspire them to be themselves,” he shared.
With two albums and one EP to his name, his music has been warmly received internationally rather than locally, and he attributes this to the fact that the local music industry lacks creating platforms for alternative music at local festivals and alternative music does not receive airtime on radio, and because of this, it’s been hard for his music to grow and be recognised locally.
He is signed under the record label Mute Records, an international label in the UK, known for releasing works from electronic performers.
His first album, titled ‘Desire’, was released in 2020, and earlier this year, his second album ‘On the Romance of Being’ was released.
His latest output is an EP titled ‘Baddies of Isandlwana’ made up of three songs. “I was thinking about the idea that the history of queer people who existed in pre-colonial times has just been erased. The EP is a statement that there is more to Zulu masculinity than what is reported. I like to get to a point in my career where I want to do more for other people, not just for me. I want to inspire young people to use the tools they have to learn more. Be you, and don’t give up,” he concluded.
