feminist reggae artists
Margaret Saraco
I am looking to compile a list of feminist reggae artists for an article
I am writing on women in music for "on the Issues."
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Margaret R. Saraco
Please reply to me privately.
Ronald E Lam
...the sistas nah call themselves "feminist," with all due respect
please explain what you mean by "feminist?'
thanks
i once did a presentation on "women in reggae" re songs by conscious reggae
women artists
--
irie,one love,roots music...everytime with culture, from Errol, aka roots-ee
419-372-7903,voice mail...and de beat goes on...and on...and on...respec'...
i am the small axe...sharp and ready...to cut you down...sharp and ready...
Andrew Racevskis
: ...the sistas nah call themselves "feminist," with all due respect
: please explain what you mean by "feminist?'
: thanks
don' wan' start argument, but can try to clarify the term:
'feminist' is a problematic term because on one hand, feminists themselves
come from various angles, and there is *not* one prevailing ideology- it's
a diverse camp. On the other hand, the opponents have succeeded in making
'feminism' a *bad word*, so everyone throws up the red battle flags...
Very generally and simply, feminism holds that, while internationally
there are various forms of downpression pertaining to nationality, race,
religion, and so forth, in almost every society HALF the people (i.e. the
sistas, females) are marginalized, denied equal rights and opportunities.
For one evidence just look at the directors of almost any big corporation
or government: white male. (sorry anti-PC-ers 8^)
as far as social action, feminists generally recommend dialogue and
awareness of patriarchal oppression, from hiring practices to sexual
abuse... and demand EQUAL RIGHTS (and justice). When you really get down
to it, these concerns apply to all downpressed groups-- how to
empower or emancipate them, and take back control from the elites...
Much important, radical work is being done in feminist studies, and it
is dismaying that they get such a bad rap. No one says men are evil,
just that our sistas deserve RESPECT.
---
Re: feminist reggae, I dunno... Except insofar as
Babylon is a male establishment... suckin the blood of the sufferers.
Queen Latifah attacks sexism pretty direc-ly, good to hear in the hiphop
genre...
Sorry if this upsets anyone; just trying to define the terminology.
maximum respec to Errol and the RMR crew
-Drew
EZ Noh Mikey
|> Hello.
|>
|> I am looking to compile a list of feminist reggae artists for an article
One that comes to mind is Lillian Allen.
EZ Noh, mike
Matthew Moore
artists.
--
**** Matthew Moore **** Email: bg...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA
Ronald E Lam
>roots-ee say:
>: ...the sistas nah call themselves "feminist," with all due respect
>: please explain what you mean by "feminist?'
>: thanks
>don' wan' start argument, but can try to clarify the term:
>just that our sistas deserve RESPECT.
...yes, drew...i man can "live wid dat." so then the original poster
would like rmr-ers to list some "feminist" songs/singers?...right?
like bob marley, no woman, no cry...
like the former, now defunct, reggae band, crucial DBC, woman unite...
like judy mowatt, black woman...( can't remember title...words like
...just because we're woman...don't treat us inhuman...we're not
weak...we are strong...)
like yvonne dean and ichelle cole...rasta woman...
and there are others...???
have a good weekend, drew at the arts fest down deh inna i-lumbus, :-)
errol aka roots-ee
Ronald E Lam
...lillian allen...(title?) and a push ...and a push...and a push...and di
baby he a born...
...macka B...(title?) ...(di nine months a pregnancy...)
Andrew Racevskis
: so then the original poster
: would like rmr-ers to list some "feminist" songs/singers?...right?
: like bob marley,[ no, woman no cry ]
: like the former, now defunct, reggae band, crucial DBC, woman unite...
: like judy mowatt, black woman...( can't remember title...words like
: ...just because we're woman...don't treat us inhuman...we're not
: weak...we are strong...)
: like yvonne dean and ichelle cole...rasta woman...
nice ones -- thanks Errol... I also dig where Tosh interjects the
Get Up Stand Up chorus alternately with "brothers!" and "SISTERS!"
Nah Give Up (the fight)
Drew (yes i, a jam-pack Ark Band weekend here!)
Ronald E Lam
...cool star...
like carlene davis...winnie mandela...
like akabu...all african woman UK band...( caught dem live inna columbus
at ( the old) skankland on fifth avenue...a whole lp i man have...)
( hey drew, i man a catch the ark band inna findlay on sunday at the arts
festival deh...:-)
respec...
UpBeat
reality. She had a release on Shanachie: Jean "Binta" Breeze and toured
with the Women in Reggae tour (Sister Carol, Judy Mowatt) in 93.
--
upb...@io.org
Toronto, Canada
ag...@psuvm.psu.edu
>From: m...@haven.ios.com (Margaret Saraco)
>Subject: feminist reggae artists
>Date: 30 May 1995 16:51:37 GMT
>Hello.
>I am looking to compile a list of feminist reggae artists for an article
>I am writing on women in music for "on the Issues."
While I am not sure what your definition of feminist is, I can assist
with the names of some Women in Reggae (I did a show on this
last November). I tried to focus on the issues that concerned women.
These were social and political issues, family responsibility,
poverty and their relationship with the men in their lives
(not as adversial as advocated by the more militant "feminist" I
have met in the US). Here are some names:
Marcia Griffith (Jamaica's first lady of Reggae)
Rita Marley (Family, male-female relations, Rastafarianism
Judy Mowatt (many songs uplifting and empathizing with her sisters,
especially the album "Black woman"),
_Solo or as the I-three's, these are powerful women
Miss Lou (Louise Bennett, Jamaica's 1st lady of peotry, has set
her poems to music, check out "Dutty tuff"- hard times in Jamaica)
Dreadlocks Fay Bennett (early 'dub' poet, circa 1970)
Phyllis Dillon (60s rocksteady star, male-female relations)
Norma Frasier (male-female relations)
Merlyn Weber ("Why life is so hard")-- Allen Kaatz has more info
Sista Carol (Social, political, family issues, check "Jah Disciple")
Queen Majeeda(Dub poetess, album "Conscious", includes "Oh Daddy"
asking for more responsibility from fathers as well as political
and environmental issues)
Sophia George (80s star, "Young man, yu too girlie, girlie...")
J.C. Lodge (Lover's rock)
Carlene Davis (Social, political-"Welcome home, Mr. Mandela", Lover's rock)
Shelley Thunder(DJ/Rap artist, Jamerican style, one militant
"feminist" song, "Kuff"...sometime a man fe get kuff...)
Patra (Yes, even Patra had one conscious song, "Poor people's song)
Nadine Sutherland (child protege all grown up and dealing with mostly
with male/female relations)
Sista Audrey (Lover's rock)
Pam Hall (ditto)
International
-------------
Judy Boucher (Lover's rock, out-a-England)
Dawn Penn (ditto)
Lisa M. (Reggaespan~ol)
La Diva (ditto)
Queen Latifah (US rap artist/actress, some reggae sounds and social
conscious theme as well as the party time stuff)
Amazulu (Afro/Caribbean/European mix, check album "World dance party")
Arlene Laing | "Ranny, where yu is?
503 Walker Building | "Leaning up aghence a banana tree"
Penn State University | "Which banana tree?"
University Park PA 16802 | "De banana tree dat is leaning up
http://www.essc.psu.edu/~laing| aghence me" - Miss Lou & Mass Ran
Jah Son
: i once did a presentation on "women in reggae" re songs by conscious reggae
: women artists
"Star", I would be interested in a list of this sistren, if you have it.
I want to do a show with strictly women's voices soon.
Guidance, Jah Son (RAW #33)
--
Evan C R
Sistren Theatre Colllective. I had heard they had disbanded a few years
ago and the book which i found used was marked out of print. If anyone
finds out more info, or can confirm that the collective is still
operating, I'd appreciate the info!
Jah Guide
eva...@aol.com
Ronald E Lam
..yes i...if and when i find my list, i will send to you asap...cool?
also note post by arlene laing, no. 12827, on fri june 2, on this topic
it is a fine one...keep in touch
if i and i ever lose e mail contact, either temporarily or permanently,
say after june 30, this is my snail mail address etc
errol lam
3 gypsy lane court
bowling green, ohio 43402
ph, 419-352-7143
aka roots-ee
he seh: a reggae music in inity will never be defeated...
forward jah music...everytime...
di wicked, dem a run...
wi neva give up on jah music...
and tings like dat...
all respec..
Allen Kaatz
>I don't think there are any well known strictly "feminist" women reggae
>artists.
Anyone interested in the topic of feminism & Jamaican women should try to
find a book called "Lionheart Gal, Life Stories Of Jamaican Women" which is
composed of true stories of Jamacan women's lives, told in their own words,
compiled from a women's collective in Kingston called "Sistren". Also if
you visit their collective in Kgn, they have some real nice crafts/folk art
etc. for sale there. Beyond the feminist agenda, it's a great book on it's
own merits.
Published by:
The Women's Press Ltd
34 Great Sutton St
London ECIV 0DX
England.
"If she should all cook a chicken, we cyaan get di leg or none of dem nice
part. Di man always get de leg. Might be das why me grow up to a love
chicken wing."
(from the book)
Al
ag...@psuvm.psu.edu
>From: eva...@aol.com (Evan C R)
>Subject: Re: feminist reggae artists
>Date: 5 Jun 1995 09:11:01 -0400
Actually Sistren Theatre Collective has been busy producing a
new video on the life of the Honourable Miss Lou,
Louise Bennett-Coverley, Jamaica's first lady of poetry and a
longstanding social critic (tek bad tings mek joke) and feminist.
The video entitled "The Drums keep sounding" should have been
released in May but I have not yet heard anything about it yet.
Sistren also runs workshops for women groups. Their address is
Sistren Research, 20 Kensington Crescent, Kingston 5.
ad...@sirius.com
This sista definitely occupies this category
--
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