Pillay's win for women in electronic music

SOUTH African DJ and producer Sharm Pillay has been announced as one of the winners of the inaugural Lady of the House South African demo competition.

- LUTHO PASIYA

The recognition positions her on the global electronic music stage and marks a significant milestone in her career.

Lady of the House was established to celebrate women and non-binary creatives whose contributions have often been overlooked.

For Pillay, music has always been more than entertainment.

“Music is not just sound to me. It is my purpose,” she said. “It carried me through loss, gave me a voice when I could not find words and it shaped me into an artist who translates pain into rhythm and connection.”

Her winning demo, Soul to Soul, is a melodic techno track that she wrote. The track speaks about pain, conflict and human connection, yet turns those feelings into a message of love.

“The song was born in struggle,” she explained. “Through music, the shadows become light.”

The lyrics carry the weight of her message: “I won't be your mirror, your broken shrine... love doesn’t feed on a shattered soul.”

The track will be released later this year on the Lady of the House South African winners’ compilation.