- Born Margret Wander in 1981, from Minneapolis MN. Aka Dessa Darling.
- After earning a BS degree in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota, Dessa’s interest in poetry and performance led to a developing relationship with the Minneapolis-based hip-hop collection of artists called Doomtree. Soon, she became a member of the group, collaborating with many of the members on their recordings. Doomtree ultimately evolved into a record label, and Dessa is CEO of the company.
- Her first recording was an EP released in 2005, False Hopes. She then published a book of poetry, called Spiral Bound.
- Between 2010 and 2013, she released 3 studio albums – A Badly Broken Code, Castor the Twin, and Parts of Speech. She contributed a song, Congratulations, to the compilation album The Hamilton Mixtape, released in December 2016. This album features songs from the smash Broadway musical Hamilton (although Congratulations ultimately was cut from the show). The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 100 chart. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the playwright and composer for the show, hand picked Dessa to perform the song, stating “…that he knew she had “the Angelica skillset: She’s an incredible singer and an incredible rapper.”
- She has collaborated with the Minnesota Orchestra with a performance of songs that she composed and performed with the orchestra in 2 sold out concerts in April 2017. Classical Rap Music – definitely artistic stuff here!
- Dessa’s success has been substantial in the Twin Cities area, while she is still waiting for more national exposure. Marksmusicmania is doing its best to help. Watch her in Call Off Your Ghost from 2013. Then, tell your friends about this talented artist.
Wow. I love this artist! I’ve seen friends on FB sharing, liking and attending Dessa concerts and wondered who is she. Thanks for sharing her story and song on your blog. On my ‘to do’, download some Dessa on my playlist!