Solidarity in song

Tomorrow is Women’s Day and it’s worth remembering how Women’s Day came about. On August 9, 1956, 20 000 women staged a march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the proposed amendments to the Urban Areas Act (commonly known as the pass laws) of 1950.

They left bundles of petitions containing more than 100 000 signatures at Prime Minister JG Strydom’s office doors. Then they stood for 30 minutes, many with their children on their backs. The women sang a protest song that was composed in honour of the occasion: Wathint’Abafazi Wathint’imbokodo (Now You Have Touched The Women, You Have Struck A Rock).

Today in the arts, women’s voices reverberate loudest on matters of social concern, led by the likes of Simphiwe Dana and Thandiswa Mazwai, either through song or in column inches in our national newspapers and on social media. Dana speaks extensively on areas of identity in South Africa and Mazwai recently formed an all-female band to empower women and give them opportunities in the male dominated music industry.

To mark tomorrow’s holiday, record label Kalawa Jazzmee will commemorate Women’s Month with a line-up solely made up of its female talent. There will be performances by Candy Mokwena, Berita Khumalo (pictured) Nokwazi, DJ Zinhle, Winnie Khumalo and Busiswa in a show is titled Izintombi Zase Kalawa (Ladies of Kalawa). For Mokwena and Berita, Women’s Month holds special significance outside of the fact that they are women.

“I lost my son to a car accident in 2010, and as mother this month has come to mean a lot to me as it symbolises our strength aswomen through hardship,” says Mokwena.

At 22, Berita is the only female member in the room directing her band and sorting out her own arrangements ahead of the show.

“I performed my first major gig on Women’s Day last year and this year I will be performing at two big events on the same day,” beams Khumalo.

“Everything I do musically is with the aim and focus to help young girls and women through their challenges. So Women’s Day is pivotal for me and it is especially tough in the music industry as a woman and you need a thick skin to succeed.”