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Dessa talks her passion for language and upcoming Grand Rapids show

Black and white photo of Dessa sitting on a leather couch with her arms spread out.
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Minnesota musician Dessa will perform Tuesday, April 4, 2023, at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids.

On March 31, 2023, Dessa joined Centerstage Minnesota for a conversation about her love for language and an upcoming Grand Rapids show.

GRAND RAPIDS — Dessa can still remember the excitement she felt learning new words as a child.

A woman sitting on a chair with her legs crossed. She is wearing a green shirt and black pants.
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Dessa
Dessa is a Minneapolis- and New York-based musician, poet, writer and podcast host.
"Listen to the full KAXE interview above"

“The way that a future geologist runs around as a little kid collecting rocks, I felt like I had a word collection slowly building in the pantry of my mind,” the Minnesota artist said.

That passion for language is showcased in the art forms Dessa has worked in over the years. After establishing herself as a rapper through her solo albums and time with Doomtree, she wrote a memoir, released a collection of poetry, and hosted a TED Talk.

In her latest venture as host of the BBC podcast Deeply Human, she delves into some of the big questions about what makes us human.

But even after branching out into different areas, Dessa is still focused on her music. She is currently recording a new album. She joined Centerstage Minnesota for an interview about her new music and her Tuesday, April 4, show at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids.

“I think there are moments on the next record that really lean into pop melodies,” Dessa said, “but there are also some darker tracks and some hip/hop tracks.”

“The way that a future geologist runs around as a little kid collecting rocks, I felt like I had a word collection slowly building in the pantry of my mind.”
Dessa

Centerstage Minnesota airs every Friday at 2 and 10pm on Northern Community Radio. It is made possible by the citizens of Minnesota through the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

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Malachy started his radio career at a college radio station, where he played weird music in the middle of the night to possibly no one. On a good night maybe his parents were listening. Nonetheless, he was hooked on public radio and is still doing it today. He joined Northern Community Radio in 2022, where he gets to share his passion for local music as Producer of Centerstage Minnesota, an all Minnesota music show airing Fridays at 2pm.