desiree breathes new life into nina simone's most powerful portraits

South African DJ and producer, Desiree, is well-known for weaving house rhythms with deep, atmospheric soul overtones. Her latest remix speaks to this idiosyncrasy, creating a cross-generational dialogue with her remix of “Four Women” by the iconic Nina Simone.

Certain monuments in the musical canon feel untouchable, and Nina Simone’s “Four Women” is one such monument. Featured on the 1966 album Wild Is the Wind, this song serves as a searing sociopolitical portrait of Black womanhood in America. Through the distinct personas of Aunt Sarah, Saffronia, Sweet Thing, and Peaches, Simone maps out four archetypal identities shaped by history and skin tone. By linking these narratives together, she creates a profound exploration of how race, class, and gender intersect, exposing the heavy toll of systemic oppression and the enduring weight of generational trauma.

“Nina Simone’s ‘Four Women’ means a lot to me. When I was asked to remix it, I knew I wanted to go deeper than the music,” says Desiree. “To sit with what Nina was actually saying and ask what it still means today, the Fifth Woman is that conversation, for the women we come from and the girls we still carry.”

In an editorial, with parts filmed at Magugu House and in the studio of Johannesburg artist Boemo Diale, whose work explores the same territory as the song: Black womanhood, memory, and what gets passed down, Desiree opens up about what the song means to her. Desiree pushes the narrative further by exploring the concept of The Fifth Woman. If Simone’s original four characters were archetypes defined by the traumas of the past, the Fifth Woman represents the modern successor, the one who inherits these stories, perhaps still angry, yet still joyful, carrying the same sentiments as the past, while still being able to dance. The inclusion of Johannesburg artist Boemo Diale adds a vital layer of visual representation of Nina Simone’s song, as Desiree puts it, “Diale’s work is a visual representation of what Nina was doing with sound.”

As a space dedicated to preserving African history through the lens of modern fashion, Magugu House provided the perfect backdrop for a conversation on heritage. Thebe Magugu’s work often mirrors Simone’s storytelling, using clothing to archive the lived experiences of African women. Filming here anchors the remix in a place where “the archive” is a breathing inspiration for the future.

Released via Verve Label Group, Desiree approaches the track with a sense of reverence, maintaining the song’s original intention while introducing a textured Afro-house landscape that feels contemporary without stripping the song of meaning. The release arrives as a significant instalment in the Verve Remixed: Year of Nina celebration. Commissioned by the Nina Simone Estate in honour of Verve’s 70th anniversary, the project sees the estate opening its archives to a new generation of global electronic talent. Desiree joins an esteemed lineup of contributors for the series, the first being Solomun’s remix, with new installments arriving monthly, including contributions by Mochakk, Austin Millz, dublon, Supershy, Antdot, and more.