Modern Twist on Jazz Legend Selaelo Selota’s ‘Thrrr… Phaaa!’
South Africa’s own Palesa Desiree Shilabje, professionally known as DESIREE, announces the release of her remix of Selaelo Selota’s ‘Thrrr… Phaaa!’ during Africa Month in May. DESIREE has been testing the remix around the world in her sets, stoking curiosity among fans in the process. Fans at home can now get in on the action and eagerly await the release of the track following a rousing reception at DGTL Festival in the Netherlands (watch here).
The critically acclaimed producer reveals “… what started out as an edit, meant for appeasing my childhood love of the original song and having something unique purely for my DJ sets, developed into a rendition which touched me deeply. During the making of the song, my team and I agreed that it would be super cool to pitch this new version to Selaelo. To my surprise he agreed for me to be the first official remixer of the song which is such an honour”.
On the production, DESIREE is clear to bring the process into perspective, “…the production of the song was particularly challenging. Unlike most electronic music, where producers have access to isolated tracks, the song is a complete live recording. This meant everything – drums, vocals, instruments – was all on one track, making it difficult to isolate and manipulate individual elements. However, this only fuelled my creativity. I’m a big fan of live music and jazz, and I was determined to find a way to fuse that organic energy with my own electronic style.”
The story of ‘Thrrr… Phaaa!’ starts in 2001, with Selaelo Selota introducing the song in his live sets. Selaelo Selota decided to record his performance at the ‘pre-release’ celebration of his sophomore album, Enchanted Gardens and given the audience response, Selaelo had good reason to convince his label to include the live recording of ‘Thrrr… Phaaa!’ at the end of the studio album which was already in production at the time.
Although DESIREE was only 5 years old when the song came out, she asserts, “… the song was omnipresent well into my teen years. Coming from a Sepedi speaking household meant that the song naturally resonated with us”.
“Despite Sepedi being my mother tongue, I have noticed over the years growing up, into my adulthood that there is a severe lack of representation of the language in South African music, especially electronic music. This is partly the reason why this song is so special to me. Selaelo has been a prominent figure in South African music history who has proudly championed Sepedi in his music and inspires me greatly to do the same not only for Sepedi but also for other underrepresented languages in South Africa and across the continent – and there was no better timing than releasing the remix a few days before Africa Day, to bring the sentiment home”, exclaims DESIREE.
This release bridges generations, celebrating the vibrant heritage of the Pedi people. Featuring two Pedi artists – one established and one rising – their music and the accompanying artwork are steeped in tradition. The artwork prominently displays the iconic Pedi velvet headwrap, a symbol DESIREE remembers seeing with pride on the women in her family. Inspired by this intergenerational connection, she envisions this release as a platform to showcase the enduring beauty of Pedi culture.