It’s the Woodstock of the East... but with so many super women musicians performing this year, it might as well have been a Lilith Fair! Lekha J Shankar reports from Sarawak, Indonesia

IT was women-power that shone deep in the emerald-green rainforests of Borneo's exotic island of Sarawak during their annual World Music Festival. Despite the world-famous male bands from Cuba, Senegal, Russia, Canada, the women artistes stole the show and drove the audiences crazy for three moonlit nights.

People had flown in from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand for a festival that they admitted was gaining Woodstock-like dimensions. Festival Director Jul Lin looked too young and slender to manage such a phenomenal event, but she has been associated with it for the six years that it has been in existence and agreed that this year's highlight certainly was the dynamic range of female artistes on view.

The most sensational among them was Madagasacar's controversial singer Hanitra Rosoanaivo. When the sultry and gorgeous musician sang, her trance-like movements and zen-like rhythms mesmerized all. Tarika, the group she founded with her sister Nora, was once described by ‘Time’ magazine as 'One of the Top 10 bands of the world.' Their album 'Son Egal' spent an unprecedented eight weeks at No 1 in the World Music Charts.

Songs Of Strife
Every song of Hanitra's dealt with some aspect of her topsy-turvy country where her radical views and independent actions have kept her constantly at war with the government.

"My songs are feelings that I want to share with as many people as possible. I want them to listen to the songs and question themselves. I know, back in Madagascar, they are waiting to put me in jail!" said the singer in her exotic accent, "Especially after I opened my new arts centre — they could not believe I could do that!"

Hanitra and her band travel for about 10 months of the year; the rest of the time is divided between London (where she lives with her husband, also a musician) and Madagascar.
She said that her global travels had shown her that women were the same everywhere.
"It's not true that Western women are more liberated than Asian or African women. They think they are, but they are chicken too and have a long way to go."

However, she admitted that she had no respect for "women who constantly grumble about their sufferings. Life is a battle. It's as basic as eating rice. We should talk of solutions, not problems. The power has to come from within."

Regarding the future, the singer confessed she would love to visit India, espcially as she loved its music and food. "I don't belong to Madagascar or London," said the fiery singer with characteristic individualism, "I belong to Planet Earth!" She added, “It's not important that I'm man or woman. What's important is that I'm an 'aware' individual."

Pretty Girls Rule
Other bands that created a stir included an all-woman band from Morocco called Bnet Marrakech (Girls of Marrakech). They performed with Malika Mahjoubi, a sensational belly dancer. Desislava Dumcheva, lead singer of Bulgaria’s Valeri Dimchev Quartet looked angelic and delicate in her stark-white blouse for the morning workshops and transformed into a diva when she put on elaborate embroidered costumes for the evening performances.

"Half a singer's battle is won if she's good-looking!" laughed Desislava who had one of the most haunting voices at the concert.

A Bit of Jazz In Borneo
Another voice that drove the crowds insane was Trie Uttami’s. The diminutive but dynamic singer of Indonesia’s world-famous group Krakatau, performed classical Javanese and Balinese dance, Sundanese rhythms, and Western jazz, pop and rock songs.

Trained in Eastern and Western forms, the artiste writes lyrics, has sung in more than 40 albums, tours with the Krakatau around the world, and also teaches music at Jakarta's Farabi Music School.

The artist said that her multi-talents came from her 'inner energy'. According to her, "Men and women are different, but have equal right to art or any other field." She felt, "Every woman has a different 'plus' value."

Dance and music is the language of expression for these African and Asian women