WILT_2021-10

A playlist of songs that intrigued me from Sunday to Saturday. Week of 7 Mar 2021 to 13 Mar 2021.

1. Rew Be Me – Star Feminine Band
2. Bakunda Ulu (feat. Maiya Sykes) – Jupiter & Okwess, Maiya Sykes
3. Iseo – Star Feminine Band
4. Montealla – Star Feminine Band
5. Black Woman – Sonny Sharrock
6. Black Woman – Egypt 80, Seun Kuti
7. Sky Opus Fire – RIOPY
8. Oh Well – Billy Gibbons & Co.
9. Poems – Nearly God, Terry Hall, Martina Topley-Bird
10. C – toe
11. Parasol (Excerpt) – Lubomyr Melnyk

Hyperlink to Spotify playlist: WILT_2021-10

Notes

Last Monday was International Women’s Day (8 March 2021). It was a stroke of happenstance that the Star Feminine Band was introduced to me via a Spotify playlist that I follow (Afro Indie). What stood out for me was a naive innocence and exuberance in the musicality of the performers. I loved it on first listen, and if I am to believe the promotional material, they are a group of all-female musicians who love music, love performing, and love sharing their music with their community. I thought the energy behind what I was listening to was undeniable, and it was incredibly infectious and I continued listening to more afrobeat throughout the week.

Perhaps it also felt opportune to share one of the songs by Egypt 80 and Seun Kuti that I really enjoy as we commemorate and acknowledge the strength of women in our community. It’s a masculine-sounding song, but with a reverance in the lyrics that wholeheartedly acknowledges the feminine strength. I think through this song, we can see how important language and is. Firstly, they are references to feminity that are paired with references to strength, independence, identity, not possession and property. Secondly, It’s not about a man attributing or assigning the value of strength or equality to a woman, but they are acknowledgements of the strength that are already inherently displayed and embodied by the women.

So sing, dance, and celebrate the women in our families and community. Together we are stronger.