Desarae Dee, an award-winning Canadian instrumental fusion artist, composer, producer, and content creator, has been making waves in the Canadian music industry with her distinctive and unconventional playing style since 2014. Also known as “Toronto’s Queen of Vibes,” she creates music that is both passionate and meaningful, blending faith, soul, vulnerability, and a sense of divine balance into her compositions.
Early life
Desarae Dee was born in Toronto, Canada to Jamaican parents and has a multicultural heritage including roots in Jamaica, Britain, and India. Although she was interested in music from a young age, she did not have any representation of her race or culture in music teachers until she was 9 years old and got a teacher who took the time to work with her to build and flourish her musical gifts. At the age of 13, she started playing gospel and Caribbean music in church, and at 15, she wrote her first song. She continued her musical training for twelve years and went on to university to obtain degrees in music and education.
Musical Journey of Desarae Dee
Desarae Dee noticed the lack of representation of black women instrumentalists in the Canadian music industry and decided to become a trailblazer herself in order to inspire others. She released her first single, “I’ll Worship You” in 2014, and soon discovered her talent in playing multiple instruments and creating music in the fusion genre. She shifted from live jazz and gospel to a fusion of different genres, including jazz, neo-soul, Gospel, R&B, electronic, funk, and Hip-Hop. Her release “In Rotation” in May 2020 was a turning point in her career, as she continued to release music and collaborate with other artists, gaining more recognition along the way.
Awards and Recognitions Received by Desarae
This charismatic woman’s music career has been marked by several noteworthy accomplishments, including winning the 2022 SiriusXM Black Canadian Music Award presented by the SOCAN Foundation, being featured on multiple podcasts and music blogs, appearing on two TV talk shows, and being a recurring feature on NPR Music Jazz Night in America. She also has a substantial digital following with over 20,000 genuine followers on social media besides serving as a worldwide ambassador for MUSICHYPEBEAST , working as Senior Digital Operations Director for RADIOPUSHERS, and hosting the Toronto Rising Podcast. She even gives back to the music community by partnering with Soundcheck Youth as a Guest Facilitator for their music programs.
Despite facing obstacles and setbacks in her early days as a black woman instrumental artist in Canada, Desarae persevered and refused to let the lack of representation and support stop her. She struggled with writer’s block, loneliness, and unfair treatment, but continued to prove herself and became an inspiration for others. Talking about the lives she has touched, Desarae says, “I love the messages that I receive from my supporters and fans about how inspired they are by what I’m doing. Those messages mean a lot to me because it reminds me that what I bring to the table matters and is needed!”
Desarae‘s goal is to achieve global recognition and empower black women musicians by providing workshops and creating a sisterhood of musicians. She also wants to travel the world and share her music with diverse audiences, with a desire to be remembered as someone who had a profound impact on the lives of black and colored women through her musical journey.
