Piano Prodigy Jude Kofie to Headline Project Harmony’s 30th Anniversary Gala
5 days ago
United States Dessa is an American singer, rapper, musician, writer, and former record executive, known for her diverse artistic path from indie hip hop to orchestral collaborations and published literature.
Interested in booking Dessa?
Request A ShowDessa is a member of the indie hip-hop collective and record label, Doomtree. She helped build the label and collaborated extensively with its members.
Dessa teamed up with The Elixery, a makeup manufacturer, to create a shade of lipstick named after her, with all proceeds donated to CARE (relief agency).
Dessa collaborated with RockFilter Distillery in Spring Grove, MN, to release two bourbons: Dessa's Time and Distance, and Dessa's Hand Shadow.
Dessa contributed her cover of the song "Congratulations" to The Hamilton Mixtape project.
Dessa has collaborated with the Minnesota Orchestra for multiple performances and a live album, crossing genres between hip-hop and classical music.
Dessa is the host of the podcast Deeply Human, which is a co-production of the BBC World Service, American Public Media, and iHeartMedia.
Dessa is the host of the podcast Deeply Human, which is a co-production of the BBC World Service, American Public Media, and iHeartMedia.
Dessa is the host of the podcast Deeply Human, which is a co-production of the BBC World Service, American Public Media, and iHeartMedia.
Margret Wander, known professionally as Dessa, was born on May 23, 1981. She attended Southwest High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, graduating in 1999 from the IB Diploma Programme. She furthered her education at the University of Minnesota, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. Before dedicating herself fully to her artistic career, Dessa gained professional experience by working as a waitress and a technical writer for a medical manufacturing company. This early period provided a foundation before her entry into the music industry.
Dessa’s career began with her involvement in the Minneapolis hip-hop scene. She became a member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree. Her debut solo EP, “False Hopes,” was released in 2005. This EP, though brief, was recognized as one of the top local albums of that year by the Star Tribune. In 2010, she released her first full-length album, “A Badly Broken Code.” This was followed by “Castor, the Twin” in 2011, which featured new arrangements of earlier works with live instrumentation. Her album “Parts of Speech” debuted in Billboard’s Top 200 in 2013. In addition to her musical endeavors, Dessa is also a published writer. Her collection of creative non-fiction essays, “My Own Devices: True Stories from the Road on Music, Science, and Senseless Love,” was released in 2018 by Dutton Penguin. This work was later included in NPR Music’s list of 40 Favorite Albums of 2018.
Her career includes collaborations and diverse projects. She headlined a show with the Minnesota Orchestra in April 2017, performing new arrangements of her songs alongside a spoken-word narrative. These performances led to a live album, “Sound the Bells,” released in November 2019. Dessa has also contributed to “The Hamilton Mixtape” in 2016 with her cover of “Congratulations.” In 2021, she launched “Deeply Human,” a podcast co-produced by BBC World Service, American Public Media, and iHeartMedia, exploring human behavior. She continues to expand her artistic output, with her album “Bury the Lede” released in September 2023.
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