South African musician Moonchild Sanelly has described Brighton Pride as the “holy Mecca” of Pride events, praising the UK’s liberal attitude and scale. The singer, known for her teal-blue hair and high-energy “Future Ghetto Funk” sound, spoke to the Daily Star backstage at the event.
Brighton Pride 'Holy Mecca'
Asked about her experience at Brighton Pride, Moonchild said: “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 noted that while Pride events in South Africa include marches and parties, they often take place in smaller, theatre-type venues.
“I always play those pride shows, but it’s not as big as [in the UK], we’re not there yet,” she told the Daily Star. The openly bisexual artist, who has long championed body positivity and queer joy, also highlighted differences in daily safety and expression.
Freedom in the UK
Moonchild contrasted the UK’s expressive atmosphere with experiences in South Africa, saying: “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.”
Despite this, she expressed pride in South Africa’s legal progress: “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 has constitutional protections for LGBTQIA+ rights, including same-sex marriage and legal gender changes, but stigma and violence remain issues.
Unleashing the Party Animal
Moonchild said her favourite part of performing in England is seeing reserved people let loose: “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 emphasised the intergenerational joy at Pride: “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.”
