Latest news with #womenInMusic
Forbes
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Tems Launches ‘Leading The Vibe' To Bridge The Gender Gap In Music
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 16: Tems performs on the West Stage at All Points East 2024 at Victoria ... More Park on August 16, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by) Grammy-award winning Nigerian alté singer Tems is on a mission to heighten the presence of women in the music industry through her new initiative, Leading the Vibe. Exclusively announced via Billboard, the Leading the Vibe Initiative is dedicated to young African women of ages 18 to 35 who aspire to professionally enter the creative aspects of the music industry. The initiative will take place in Lagos on August 8 and 9 as a two-day event of programming where aspiring women music industry professionals from artists, songwriters, and producers will engage in workshops, master classes, and panel discussions. The initiative is inspired by Tems' own journey as an autodidact, where she engaged in spontaneous bouts of singing in her classrooms and frequenting the music room at Dowen College. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Tems attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black ... More Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/FilmMagic) Tems' professional debut in as a singer took place in 2018 with the release of her single 'Mr. Rebel,' followed by 'Try Me' in 2019. It was not until 2020 when she gained global acclaim for her collaboration with Afrobeats superstar Wizkid on 'Essence,' which topped the Billboard Hot R&B charts at number 3. She went on to release several chart-hitting singles, including 'Free Mind," " Love Me JeJe' and 'Me and U.' Her collaboration with Drake, which also featured Future, topped the Billboard Hot 100 on its debut—making history as the first Nigerian artist to debut at number one the Billboard chart. Collaboration is a transparent superpower of the Lagos born songstress, with Rihanna, Beyoncé, Lady Donli, J. Cole, Justin Beiber, Drake, Future among her many collaborators. Tems at the 67th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony held at the Peacock Theater on February 2, 2025 in ... More Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Billboard via Getty Images) Tems has also obtained a plethora of credible accolades, including two American Music Awards, two BET Awards, three BMI Awards, four NAACP Awards, five Headies, and among eight Grammy nominations—securing two wins at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, where she made history as the first Nigerian artist win multiple Gramophones in one night. The Leading the Vibe Initiative will grant attendees access to distinguished figures in the music industry, making the experience not only worthy of praise but a valuable tactic in demonstrating its effectiveness through the qualified insights it will host. The initiative also plans to expand throughout the African continent, aiding aspiring African female music industry creatives in one of the most notable markets. Applications are now open to apply to the program until July 13.
Malay Mail
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
‘Girls shouldn't shout?': Women defy stereotypes at France's loudest metal festival
CLISSON (France), June 24 — Women artists are pushing back against gender stereotypes at the French heavy metal festival Hellfest, where men have long dominated the loud and rebellious genre. With around 60,000 visitors per day, the 18th edition of France's biggest metal festival wrapped up Sunday after four days of head-banging performances. Marked by loud guitars and guttural shouting, heavy metal has historically been associated with men and virility. On Friday, nine bands featuring at least one woman took to one of Hellfest's main stages, a notable step toward recognising women in the genre. Hellfest showcases around 180 bands spanning metal subgenres from thrash and black metal to hardcore punk, with major acts like Korn, Muse and Scorpions performing. Among the newer voices carving space in the scene is Camille Contreras, a chemical engineer by training and self-taught metalcore vocalist, who faced a backlash in 2023 after joining French band Novelists as their lead singer. 'There were a few remarks, but I didn't really take them personally because they said 'a girl shouldn't shout',' Contreras told AFP. 'I told myself 'this guy, he's just stupid'.' Contreras proved her vocal strength during live shows, helping Novelists gain international traction with tours in the United States and China. Her four bandmates said the decision to bring her in went beyond voice, praising her performance style, stage presence, good mood, ability to convey atmosphere and diversity. Praised by her bandmates as 'transgressive' for challenging 'norms and many stereotypes', Contreras — nicknamed the 'devil's diva' — fired up the Hellfest crowd during their Sunday set. She wasn't the only woman making waves at the festival. US rock giant Linkin Park, best known for hits like 'In the End' and 'Numb', returned to the Hellfest stage on Sunday with new vocalist Emily Armstrong, who joined in 2024 following the 2017 death of frontman Chester Bennington. 'They were in the right state of mind by choosing to make a 180-degree U-turn, rather than creating a copy of Chester, and it's working really well,' said Christie Medina-Gonzalez, programmer and artistic coordinator for Hellfest. Heavy metal fans cool off under a curtain of water during the 18th edition of the Hellfest Summer Open Air rock and heavy metal festival in Clisson, western France June 19, 2025, as a heatwave hits France. — AFP pic 'Very good start' Women are still underrepresented at the festival but they are becoming 'much more widespread now', according to Contreras. 'All of the attitudes are evolving a little,' she said. 'Women are maybe less scared of showing who they are,' she added, noting that 'there are more and more female bands in all kinds of subgenres' of heavy metal, which nevertheless remains 'very standardised' and 'very masculine'. Friday's stage dedicated to woman-fronted acts featured performances by the neo-Viking metal collective Heilung, from Scandinavia and Germany, alongside Dutch symphonic metal bands Epica and Within Temptation. The initiative is 'a very good start to make women more visible', said Sharon den Adel, cofounder of Within Temptation with her husband and guitarist Robert Westerholt. 'I know a lot of my colleagues had a lot of problems being accepted as a woman,' Den Adel said. When the lead vocalist was growing up, people often asked who her idols were. Now, with more women playing guitar and playing drums, female performances are more visible, she said. As metal artists, women 'will plant seeds in young girls' minds of, 'I can be this, this is also an option for me, maybe I can do this passion as well''. — AFP Australian band Dracula performs during the 18th edition of the Hellfest Summer Open Air rock and heavy metal festival in Clisson, western France June 19, 2025. — AFP pic
