Music star Moonchild Sanelly turned Brighton Pride into a “holy Mecca” dancefloor, telling the Daily Star the UK’s scale and freedom is what she wants for South Africa
Moonchild Sanelly brought “holy Mecca” energy to Brighton Pride – and says South Africa still isn’t “there yet”. The singer didn’t just open Brighton Pride with a bang, she turned Preston Park into a full-body dancefloor and then gave the Daily Star a brilliantly unfiltered chat backstage.
The South African musician, born Sanelisiwe Twisha, instantly recognisable for her teal-blue hair, self-designed outfits and high-octane “Future Ghetto Funk” sound, told us the UK does Pride on a scale she wishes she could take back home.
Asked what Brighton Pride is like for her, Moonchild didn’t hesitate, saying: “Brighton Pride is definitely the holy Mecca because in South Africa we’ve got parties and all that jazz, but we don’t have anything big yet.”
She explained that while Pride events exist in South Africa, they can feel smaller and more venue-based. She exclusively told the Daily Star: “The pride marches happen, the parties happen and events happen, and you’ll get like a theatre-type space.
“I always play those pride shows, but it’s not as big as [in the UK], we’re not there yet.” Moonchild, who is openly bisexual and has long championed body positivity, sexual liberation and queer joy in her music, also spoke about the day-to-day reality of safety, and how different it can feel compared to the freedom on display in the UK.
She said: “I feel like in Europe it’s still like people are even way more expressive and all that jazz. For instance, in an Uber when I was with my ex, you wouldn’t kiss in the Uber because you might be a male driver who’s just now feeling that sometimes you don’t feel safe.”
But she was proud of the progress South Africa has made legally – even while stressing there’s more work to do. She said: “We’re leaders in South Africa like for Africa in general.
“Our country is definitely ahead, but there’s way more. There’s a lot more to do.”
South Africa may have some of the world’s most progressive LGBTQIA+ laws – from constitutional protections and same-sex marriage to adoption and legal gender changes – but on the ground many queer people still face deep stigma and frightening levels of violence. Moonchild went on to make it very clear what she loves most about England: getting the quiet ones to unleash their inner party animal.
“Ooh, making everybody shake ass,” she laughed. “Especially not looking like they’re about to.
“And then I come on and that demon comes out of them and they shake their ass. That’s so f****** amazing.”
She said the best part is seeing every generation caught up in it. Moonchild admitted: “Especially when you get it, you’re getting it from like a grandmother and a grandchild. They all come as a family and they all just liberated in one way or the other.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.