Women Who Rock 2014: a look back
Subject: Jacque Larrainzar explaining the altar. Photographer: Laura Godoy, April 25, 2014. Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall
“The first time I heard two women, a Puerto Rican and a Cuban, say the word ‘nosotras’, I was shocked. I had not known the word existed. Chicanas use nosotros whether we’re male or female. We are robbed of our female being by he masculine plural. Language is a male discourse” (Anzaldua p. 76).
We live in a heteropatriarchal society that does not encourage or celebrate the differences that make up all identities. Throughout our history, racism, sexism, colonialism, and capitalism have reigned supreme. To celebrate different cultures, radical women, and queer folk in our current generation is not often done, or mostly done online. Organizing and mobilizing in a physical space, in a hall that holds so much of Seattle’s history, is tremendously important. Women who Rock spoke to me through its inclusive and apparent sisterhood, its vibrant tangible and spiritual movement, and the complex roles it created for strong women to fulfill. Women who Rock does not exist as a separate entity, it is entirely the individuals that help form and organize it. It is so powerful to see women, of all ethnic backgrounds, different ages, and different paths come together to bring light to the community of Seattle.
Women, have always been silenced, forcibly shushed. Women of color and queer identified folk have never been offered the spotlight, but they have taken it. They have spread their stories and have created new culture. They have offered glimpses of a new world, a different society. It is important for their stories to be heard and documented. Important for them to be given the same opportunity those others have, to be remembered. Women who Rock Unconference took place on April 24, 25, and 26th of this year, 2014. Washington hall held the pleasure of hosting the boisterous group of individuals that attended the moving weekend.
From the moment that I walked into Washington hall I knew that I was in for something special. There were awesome ladies smiling and inviting everyone in at the main table and other colorful people selling baked goods. They way they worked together, for a greater good, rather than competing for their own personal benefit was so impacting. Capitalism lies to all of us when it claims that competing is the best option, the best alternative to sharing and gaining. Coming together and giving your gifts and talents together, can be so effective and powerful. If that were to happen more often, everyone would feel more supported and encouraged. The first thing that caught my eye was the large virtual moon, projected onto one corner of the room. It glowed and contrasted sharply with the warm and bright colors on the altar to the right of it. It glowed throughout the entire day, almost watching along with us, enjoying the events. Jacque Larrainzar, highlighting the way that traditional Mexican culture included positivity and celebrating, into the reality of death, explained the altar to us. I took some time to walk around and take in each separate booth as they all had different things to offer.
Subject: Unos huaraches. Photographer: Laura Godoy, April 25, 2014. Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall
There were people selling Mexican food, people representing the Zulu nation, a midwife explaining her job, and even vintage clothes that held a specific southwest tex-mex aesthetic. It was a beautiful quilt of different methods of culture. This was represented throughout the entire day. The inclusion of these women and their stories brings about new feminist archiving praxis through expanding the paradigm of ‘feminist’. Just as the people tabling all shared different things and brought a variety of stories to the experience, these women and their lives require an expansion of general definitions. These women do not fit neatly into the preexisting definitions of terms like ‘woman’, ‘feminist’, and ‘artist’. Instead of being satisfied with the exclusion, they are taking a stand and making room for themselves. Documenting these experiences is so important, especially in this generation, because that is the way that we continue them. It is the way that we can reach out to others, around the country and the world and show them that they are not alone. That they too can expand these definitions, make room for them, be heard. Community organization, mobilization, and building is vital to these voices that have been silenced, because it is empowering, it reminds them that the fight against the powers that oppress them, is worth it. It reminds them that they are not alone.
Subject: Member of the incredible all female steel pan drum band; a different angle. Photographer: Laura Godoy, April 25, 2014. Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall
Everything that was expressed throughout the day was done in support and love. When there was dancing, there were not only performers, there were friends and sisters. They looked out to each other with smiles, knowing that they were taking part in something great. Multiple times, they would encourage the audience to join in, to break that barrier between artist and audience. They offered an invitation to take on both roles. There was a sense of community that enveloped the room. It took everyone on a different ride, individually, stimulating so many senses, but although it hit us all individually, it was wholesome and very much communal. The new Mestiza consciousness centers itself on inclusion, rather than exclusion (Anzaldua p. 101). Women who Rock is an excellent example of la conciencia mestizo because it includes different aspects of identities. It celebrates its Latin roots, recognizes its current Anglo situation, and hands the microphone over to queer, women, and other marginalized folk.
Anzaldua claims that the woman who is living the mestiza way is “willing to share, to make herself vulnerable to foreign ways of seeing and thinking. She surrenders all notions of safety, of the familiar. Deconstruct, construct” (Anzaldua p. 104). Women who rock helped express that just as important as deconstructing is, constructing, creating something new, something positive can change the community from inside and out. Bringing marginalized people together, sharing these stories, and documenting them for the future generations is transformative. It validates what these people have existed for. It forges new bonds and people to turn to when it gets hard feeling like an outsider. It challenges cultural norms and stereotypes. It shows the future generations that there are better alternatives. It helps chop away the dreadful racist, sexist, and overall oppressive notions that we are bombarded by. It motivates us to continue, fighting on. It brings awareness. It helps create change.
Subject: Fandango Dance Crew. Photographer: Laura Godoy, April 25, 2014. Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall
Subject: Mercedes Sosa, la reina, recordada en el altar. Mercedes Sosa, the queen, remembered on the altar. Photographer: Laura Godoy, April 25, 2014. Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall
I give permission for Women Who Rock Archive to use my photos. (Laura Godoy)
Anzaldua, Gloria. “La conciencia de la mestiza/ Towards a New Consciousness.” Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. San Francisco: aunt lute books, 1987. Print.
Stream A Blog Post
I was a volunteer for the Saturday of the Women who Rock Unconference
Week 5 Reading Response
Question 2. Why is Sandra Cisnero’s book titled Women Hollering Creek? Quote directly from the text to provide evidence for your reasoning for full credit.
The title of Sandra Cisnero’s book derives partly from the legend of La Llorona and as well as the story that is presented in the book of the character Cleofilas.who models the story of La Llorona. Cleofilas is a woman who as a teenager enjoyed watching telenovelas in Mexico of romantic relationships and the tortured souls represented in the stories. What she learns from one in particular is Tu o Nadie which taught her that “Somehow one ought to live one’s life like that, don’t you think? You or no one. Because to suffer for love is good. The pain all sweet somehow. In the end.”(Woman Hollering Creek, pg 45) She leaves her family in Mexico and moves across the borders to get married. She has this idealization of married life as very romantic as portrayed in the telenovelas but comes to find that her husband is very abusive which she learns is hardly sweet. Literally she lives in the borderlands because she has moved across the border to the edges of a new community in which she is silenced due to her inability to speak English. The symbolism in Cisnero’s writing is used throughout the characters names and La Gritona or the Women Hollering Creek comes to fascinate Cleofilas on page 46. The only answer she received from the townspeople was that “no one could say whether the woman had hollered from anger or pain.”(pg 46) Her own impression of the creek was that it was “Such a funny name for a creek so pretty and full of happily ever after.”(pg 47) This offers a glimpse at the way Cleofilas sees the world, the happily ever after that she yearns for in a fictitious relationship is fantasy and when reality hits it causes anger and pain. In fact later in the chapter it explains that this fantasy is taken away once she realized the man she married was far from the men in novelas; neither his height, nor his appearance, nor his actions.
Un Movimiento de Convivencia -Women Who Rock unConference Photo Essay
Women dancing Fandango jarocho – Seattle Fandango Project
Title: Fandango footwork Photographer: Simone Chavez GWSS 451 2014 Date: April 25, 2014 Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall, Seattle, WA
Out of the three days of the Women Who Rock (un)Conference I was able to attend the second day. I experienced a Film Festival which I describe in another post and performances by the Seattle Fandango project, Yakima Fandango Community, Women’s Caribbean Steel Pan Project, Julie C., Sista Hailstorm, and a couple of break dancers who got down. Also there was Keynote Evelyn Harris who was accompanied by Janice Scroggins.
The essence of my experience was the element of movement and mestiza consciousness. The movement came from the footsteps de jarocho, from musicians playing instruments, dancing to the rhythm of the music, from MCs moving within the space, from the audience; nodding their heads and tapping their feet or merely traveling around and exploring the space.
The connection of all these groups proved the existence of many cultures that are part of the Pacific Northwest and also represent a larger group of people who follow the ideas of open discussion and collaboration in order to share forms of art and include the community in cultural practices and organizations that promote divergent thinking.
In the beginning of the quarter we were exposed to a video of the song Imaginaries by Quetzal and in the video one of the members mentioned that “we write according to our realities.” I mention this quote because it pinpoints on the idea that we live in a world where many exist and although in the past and present we may be cast out and invisible, it is up to us to create spaces and imaginaries that allow us to express our realities and stories so that the next generation will know that we were here and that they deserve the ability to create a space for their realities.
In Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldua, she describes the meaning of mestiza consciousness as the engagement of la raza mestiza that encompasses a racial, ideological, cultural, and biological crosspollinization and follows Mexican philosopher, Jose Vasconcelos, in the existence of a cosmic race, a fifth race. The fifth race encompasses the four major races of the world. In Chapter 7, La conciencia de la mestiza/Toward a New Consciousness, she explains that “La mestiza constantly has to shift out of habitual formations; from convergent thinking, analytical reasoning that tends to use rationality to move toward a single goal (a Western mode), to divergent thinking, characterized by movement away from set patterns and goals and toward a more whole perspective, one that includes rather than excludes.”(Borderlands/La Frontera pg 101) The last part of the quote that mentions a movement toward a whole perspective, one that includes relates back to the WWR unConference because it invites anyone from the community to join in the collaborative experience and knowledge of many forms of cultural practices and follows a goal of inclusion through breaking barriers and silence through movement and sound. The purpose is to generate discussion of methods of resistance and liberation that comes from the existence of being. In the beginning of the book she mentions that her lesson to us is “that one takes oneself and one’s life into one’s own hands and gives it the possibility of existence.”(Borderlands/La Frontera, Editor’s Note) By acknowledging our space in our world, country, community and creating ways to break away from norms and molds, we can all collaborate and share our possibility of existence as a form of resistance from the dominant. Anzaldua suggests that “The answer to the problem between the white race and the colored, between males and females, lies in healing the split that originates to the very foundation of our lives, our culture, our languages, our thoughts. A massive uprooting of dualistic thinking in the individual and collective consciousness is the beginning of a long struggle, but one that could, in our best hopes, bring us to the end of rape, of violence, of war.”(Borderlands/La Frontera pg 102.) This massive uprooting of dualistic thinking involves bringing together groups of people in order to shape a new consciousness that speaks out against assimilation and marginalization demonstrated by dominant culture. Sharing and vocalizing these histories are intrinsic to reaching a larger audience and propelling change. The theme of this year’s conference was Honey & Healing which shows that coming together and sharing our cultural practices and though that we may healing the places and relationships that have been taught are separate. The WWR unConference is a step toward creating public space available for marginalized voices to share their stories and inspire others to do the same and be a part of the larger movement.
As Michelle Habell-Pallan explains in her book Loca Motion, “fixed notions of Chicana identity framed by the dominant culture do not allow for recognition of these women in discussions of subcultural music practices or in discussions focused on countering the shrinking of the public sphere.”(Loca Motion. pg 153) What this quote demonstrates is the importance of creating space in order to break barriers that hold back our cultural and identity practices which is the underlying purpose of the Women Who Rock (un)Conference. The goal is “to generate dialogue, build and strengthen relationships between local musicians and their communities in collaboration with educational institutions.”(womenwhorockcommunity.org)
What I found in the WWR unConference was the mix of women (and men) who were involved in the organization of the event, who had made food, who set up the main stage area and who contributed by setting up a table to share goods and topics, the dancing and music of Fandango, the Caribbean sounds and movement that came from drums, the voices that sang, to the MCs that spoke about resistance, to the b-girls who moved to the music, to the young children who joined the stage.
The elements that came together to create an evening full of women from all areas and backgrounds, who participated in the collective to create an open community. The benefit for future generations to contribute to the Altar and mural painting, to see young children dancing to the Fandango and Caribbean Steel Pan music, to see young children comfortable in moving their bodies and becoming involved in the performance such as a young boy I saw later in the night who break danced while Julie C performed.
These performances push me to acknowledge mestiza consciousness and allow me to create recognition towards the women that have come before me and their struggles and taking advantage of my own voice in order to create safer spaces in the near future. The exclusion of women and in particular Latinas and women of color throughout our history brings the most importance for women to perform and for organizations to come together and create spaces these performances. I wish for conferences and events to continue to exist in order to reach a broader audience that might not be exposed to certain cultural practices. As well as information to the public about the meaning behind these cultural practices and why they are important in the inclusion of all people and the many communities alive in the Pacific Northwest.
What I hope to share with my photo essay is the movement and space that overtook Washington Hall during the Women Who Rock unConference 2014 that took place April 24,25,26.
I give permission for Women Who Rock Archive to use my photos. -Simone Chavez
Yakima Fandango Community performing for Women Who Rock (un)Conference
Title: Yakima Fandango Community performs Photographer: Simone Chavez GWSS 451 2014 Date: April 25, 2014 Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall, Seattle, WA
Yakima Fandango Community playing at Washington Hall
Title: Sharing space and sound Photographer: Simone Chavez GWSS 451 2014 Date: April 25, 2014 Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall, Seattle, WA
Women’s Caribbean Steel Pan Project
Title: Muscians performing Caribbean music Photographer: Simone Chavez GWSS 451 2014 Date: April 25, 2014 Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall, Seattle, WA
Women’s Caribbean Steel Pan Project showing a dance routine
Title: Moving with the rhythm Photographer: Simone Chavez GWSS 451 2014 Date: April 25, 2014 Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall, Seattle, WA
Julie C performing with a b-girl dancing in the foreground
Title: Inclusion of the Elements Photographer: Simone Chavez GWSS 451 2014 Date: April 25, 2014 Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall, Seattle, WA
Sista Hailstorm performing at Washington Hall
Title: Sista Hailstorm performing Photographer: Simone Chavez GWSS 451 2014 Date: April 25, 2014 Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall, Seattle, WA
Altar with DJ from 206 Zulu in the background
Title: Creating an Interconnected Collective Photographer: Simone Chavez GWSS 451 2014 Date: April 25, 2014 Location:Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall, Seattle, WA
Anzaldua, Gloria. “La conciencia de la mestiza/ Towards a New Consciousness.” Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. San Francisco: aunt lute books, 1987. Print.
Habell-Pallan, Michelle. Loca Motion: The travels of Chicana and Latina popular culture. New York: New York University Press, 2005. Print.
Creating the stories for the next generation…..
“Life will go on as long as there is someone to sing, to dance, to tell stories and to listen” –Oren Lyons
Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. The beat, methodic and deliberate began slowly. Before we could take another breath, the tempo increased, becoming faster with each second. The room erupted with the sounds of drums, guitars, voices and dance. The jam session had begun. We quickly gathered around the performers. We, the audience were body-to-body, moving together in sync with the beat, unaware of anything or anyone else. Women and men, young and old surrounded the performers, uniting together in celebration of community, women, music and culture.
For centuries, the voices of women have been repressed by conservative traditions and cultures. Women’s identities and experiences were minimalized and drowned out by a patriarchal society, their voices kept silent. Consequently, the sharing and retelling of stories conveys to others not only who they are and what they have done but most importantly, that they existed. However it’s not enough to re-tell through oral traditions, therefore to preserve history we must archive our stories, transforming them into experiences and marking our place in history.These silenced voices were heard loud and clear at the Women Who Rock unconference, a forum welcoming all people intent on creating dialogue about the role of women, music, culture and social justice.
Through attending this conference I discovered that the stories of women in music were mostly absent from history. The Women Who Rock unconference illustrates the importance of securing histories for future generations through music, film, and narratives. Participating in Women Who Rock unconference allowed me to experience a sense of community, an appreciation for diverse cultures and a sense of pride in my fellow sisters for embracing the opportunity to continue the dialogue.
Washington Hall, a building of enormous significance to the community, provided my introduction to what would soon become a memorable event. My eyes focused immediately on the platform front and center adorned with brilliant colors. A closer look revealed an altar, an ancient and treasured Mexican tradition honoring the dead. I took my time looking at the altar, taking in the colors, the flowers, reading the letters and cards and gazing at the photographs of women. I wanted to know their histories and hear their stories. I wanted to know who they inspired and who they influenced. They were the spirits of many family memories, of love and happiness, pain and sorrow. They were someone’s grandmother, mother, aunt and sister. Slowly taking everything in, my gaze led me upward where I immediately recognized a colorful portrait of Frida Kahlo, positioned on the very top of the altar. I smiled to myself knowing that this extraordinary woman would be watching over the event and taking much pride in what she saw.
Later that afternoon, Jacque Larrainzar, one of the event organizers spoke to the audience about the significance of the altar and its history. I was captivated hearing of the rituals and traditions of the día de los muertos, the Day of the Dead. As a child, I was kept from funerals and cemeteries, told that they were no place for children. Subsequently I have grown up fearing death. Through Jacque’s eloquent and celebratory description of the holiday, I came away with a new respect and admiration of a culture that teaches the importance of both embracing death and celebrating the lives of loved ones passed. Traditionally, the woman installs and maintains the family altar. The altar represents her dedication and devotion to her ancestors, providing meaning to a structure that connects family, love and spirituality. Thus rituals such as the altar can cross religious and spiritual boundaries, allowing those of us from other religions the freedom to participate and appreciate the rich and sacred traditions.
Immediately following the altar presentation I felt an eerie silence enveloping the hall, commanding the audience’s attention to center stage. A young woman from a local tribe approached the stage; her eyes closed, her voice chanting an unfamiliar language. Her message was an invocation, a blessing for the community. Although I did not understand the language, her emotions and messages were evident through the sound of her hypnotic voice. She was passing on her tradition, connecting us to her world. Similarly, women throughout the world have been entrusted to retell their stories, songs, traditions and prayers for centuries. It is through these oral traditions that we learn the values of our cultures. [i]
The Women Who Rock unconference created a space of equality, beauty and celebration through music, art and community. Using the healing forces of both music and dance we rebelled, we resisted and we celebrated our collective and individual strengths. Feeling the passion of Fandango, I immersed myself in the moment, enjoying the sights and sounds of the dancers. Their gracefulness and skill of the traditional Spanish dance expressed a story of love, desire, and sexuality. A collaborative sisterhood, each performer communicated their narratives through their artistry. They needed no words to retell their story, as it was understood and interpreted through the rhythm of the dance. Afterwards the artists of the Seattle Women’s Steel Pan Project rocked the house with their innovative Caribbean beat creating an organized chaos of dancing bodies. Diverse and beautiful women, they produced a narrative of collaboration and healing, while expressing a message of empowerment and liberation. “If women do not speak out with their own voices, no one will do it for them. This is the opportunity, as Zappa Punk said, of daring to yell what our mothers and grandmothers could not say”.[ii]
By retelling our stories we continue the narrative. However, by archiving our stories we keep them alive for future generations. Validating our existence, these living narratives will challenge and inspire the next generation of Mestizas. Thus motivating our daughters and sons to challenge and disrupt barriers of repression and social injustice.
“I am cultureless because, as a feminist, I challenge the collective cultural/religious male-derived beliefs of Indo-Hispanics and Anglos; yet I am cultured because I am participating in the creation of yet another culture, a new story to explain the world and our participation in it, a new value system with images and symbols that connect us to each other and to the planet” [iii].
“It takes a thousand voices to tell a single story” — Native American saying
Subject: Altar. Photographer: Pamela Schwartz, April 25, 2014. Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall.
Subject: Blessing for the community. Photographer: Pamela Schwartz, April 25, 2014. Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall
Subject: Fandango and Steel Band jam. Photographer: Pamela Schwartz, April 25, 2014. Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall
Subject: Seattle Women’s Steel Pan Project. Photographer: Pamela Schwartz, April 25, 2014. Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall
Subject: Young girl creating sugar skulls. Photographer: Pamela Schwartz, April 25, 2014. Location: Women Who Rock unConference, Washington Hall
(permission granted to post to archive) Pamela Schwartz
[i] Mesa-Bains, Amalia, El Mundo Femenino: Chicana Artists of the Movement; A Commentary on Development and Production, p. 306
[ii] Palacious, Julia & Estrada, Tere, “A Contra Corriente”, A History of Women Rockers in Mexico, p. 159
[iii] Anzaldua, Gloria. Borderlands La Frontera, the New Mestiza,
Stream A Blog Post
Women Who Rock Conference Volunteer
Women Who Rock Photo Essay
Jessica Flores, April 7, 2014, Women Who Rock Photo Essay
The Women Who Rock conference really inspired me through the unity of all the members and how every member worked together to get the job done. Everyone was extremely passionate in preparing for the conference. Their mind was set from the preparation and set up before the conference and all throughout the performances. The stories of these ladies lives were very inspiring and moving. Every single member as well as volunteer did their utmost to put on a great conference and make everyone feel welcomed. The cultural ties in the conference were outstanding and they are very enriching. Two main themes that stood out to me were culture and muic. Culture was very dominant in the conference. With the sugar skulls and altar it really brought out some cultural awareness. Music was a big theme because of the performances and all throughout the conference even the setup there was always music playing. The music helped set the tone and made the entire experience unique. Every woman who participated had gone through their own life struggles and had to overcome different obstacles in their lives; displaying Anzaldua’s idea of “mestiza consciousness”. Through my photos I have captured the three themes and although it is only a glimpse of the Women Who Rock conference I feel that it is a great collection of images which capture the true meaning of the conference.
Subject: Altar Photographer: Jessica Flores, April 25, 2014, Women Who Rock Conference
This photograph is of the altar which is prepared by many of the members and volunteers of the Women Who Rock Conference. An altar is a table in the Christian church at which the bread and wine are pored and served during communion. The altar at women who rock is really bound by cultural ties and is a very important piece to the conference. The altar consists of many pictures and of respected Chicana women and is placed in the center of the stage at the front of the room to portray its importance. The altar has a plate of Mexican bread, “pan dulce” just as the Christian church has the bread of the father. Pan dulce is a common pastry eaten by Mexican families and it is a very important part of the altar. Seeing the bread on the altar made me feel a sense of home and made me feel warm inside because it reminded me of my abuela and how she always had conchas at her casita. Just as Latina and Chicana women are very free spirited and outgoing the altar represents this through its vibrant colors. The altar is covered in bright colors and attracts one’s eyes. It draws attention to itself not only being in the front of the room but through its appearance. It acts as a memorial to all the Chicana women who have overcome obstacles and have encountered the mestiza consciousness. Without the altar the conference would not have given off the right message. It is very important to always keep the message alive throughout the conference, the message of culture and music. The setup of this altar tied all three themes together and was a beautiful part of the entire conference.
Subject: Sugar Skulls Photographer: Jessica Flores, April 25, 2014, Women Who Rock Conference
Sugar Skulls also played a major role in the Women Who Rock Conference. Pictures of skulls were placed all around the conference and could be found on the altar. Sugar Skulls are an old Mexican tradition and used as a way to remember loved ones who have passed away. Sugar Skulls are common during Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). They are made at home in the kitchens of Chicana women and are very culturally bound. The Sugar Skulls are made to be decorated in unique ways. Each Sugar Skull is unique and covered with colorful paint, glitter, and stickers. At the conference Sugar Skulls were placed on the arts and crafts table which I helped at and young girls decorated Sugar Skulls using paints and glitters. It was amazing to see how each little girl decorated their Sugar Skull in an entirely different way. I made a connection with this and how each Chicana woman are individually different, although they are connected and unified with all other Chicana women they have a sense of individuality. Many women at the conference expressed this individuality in the way they dressed and the way they interacted with other women at the conference. When the little girls finished their Sugar Skulls they gave them time to dry and then got to place them on the altar. It was inspiring to see young girls participating in an event that meant so much to their mothers and it brought joy to my eyes to see how happy these little girls were to be able to participate in something bigger than themselves. This event was not just about speaking out to the community, but it was about being a part of something great. They were all a part of a movement, a cultural movement. These women were spreading the Chicana word and impacting lives through their culture and through their soul.
Subject: Music set up Photographer: Jessica Flores Photographed: Bob on April 25, 2014 at the Women Who Rock Conference
One of the themes of the conference that I found to be very dominant was music. Music was constantly playing in the background and was being performed by different women. Music was the way the performers delivered their message. There is something in music that speaks to the audience and reaches to their mind and their soul. Music is much more impactful at times rather than just speaking your own words. The music helped to set the tone of the conference and gave the entire room a good vibe. Music tied the entire conference together and without it the experience would not have been the same. In this photograph Bob is setting up the keyboard and the microphones for the performers. The setup of the conference is very important to how smoothly the conference will go. It is crucial to set up all equipment the proper way so the performers could smoothly transition and their performance can be exceptional. All the members of the conference put in several hours of their time to make the conference happen. They devoted not only just their weekend but many weeks before the conference in preparation. While I was volunteering at the conference I noticed how important this conference was to each and every member, from Bob setting up the music to my own professor organizing and displaying her passion for Women Who Rock.
Every single person at the conference played a crucial role and as I worked with other members it gave me a sense if gratitude and satisfaction. I had never been involved with a conference like Women Who Rock and the experience was one that I will definitely never forget. It is always important to discover new things and get involve in your community. If I wouldn’t have been enrolled in this class I would have never been exposed to such amazing women and such an inspiring community. Through culture and through music this group of women reached out to the community and took action to make their voices heard. There is a common narrative about Chicana women and how we are unskilled and immobile, but Women Who Rock challenged this narrative. They showed the community how strong Chicana women are and through the obstacles and borders we have crossed we are able to reach out in ways no other women can.
(Permission granted to post to the archive)
Women Who Rock 2014, ROCKED
I have always dreamt about being surrounded by grown women taking positive roles and supporting each other. It sounds simple but it is not a commonly experienced setting. I loved WWR because it had a very specific energy to it. There was support and love oozing out of every smile in the room, every word spoken, and every sense stimulated. From the moment that I walked in I knew it was going to be special. Colors invaded the hall, vibrant and beautiful. Booths were set up, offering a glimpse into the lives and experiences of women in our community. A virtual moon projected onto the corner of the hall, watching over our every moves, in agreement with our actions. What truly stuck with me was the community. When there was dancing, there were not only performers, there were friends and sisters. They looked out to each other with smiles, knowing that they were taking part in something great. Multiple times, they would encourage the audience to join in, to break that barrier between artist and audience. They offered an invitation to take on both roles. I loved the all female steel pan drum band. That in itself is a rarity in our society and should be celebrated. I was able to meet Alice Bag, as I made friends with Marlen, a grad student who is in the midst of ‘courting’ Alice and befriending her. It was a wonderful experience and I left feeling so empowered and knowing that every action, makes a difference.
I would be thrilled to be a part of next year’s unconference.
Breaking the Silence & Creating Space – Love, Liberation & Empowerment
[Women Who Rock (un)Conference recap]
On Friday evening I arrived at Washington Hall and walked up the steps to the main hall and walked through the door, I had arrived just in time to catch the Film Festival. The first film focused on a man who connected community by introducing native traditions to younger people and taught the art of carving a canoe. Following that there were videos created in the Queering the Museum Digital Storytelling Workshop. Videos found on the Queering the Museum WordPress! These videos were very beautiful, liberating example of how art and words can be used to heal and be used as tools for recognition and creating new spaces. I enjoyed them all and they all had wonderful statements.
“Love, Petra” a film by Petra Davis showed that many times people feel devalued or marginalized in our society to the point that they don’t share their true voice and that in her words “we don’t speak in classrooms or hold hands in restaurants. Or share our stories in pain. We don’t let us share our pain, our love. We don’t let us share love. Instead we try to press our bodies, feelings, stories into molds. Forms called norms. Devoid of love and pain.” This demonstrates how many institutions or interactions in daily life hold people back from who they really are and create an unsafe space. Following this quote she offers the path to healing and self-love and creating a safe, healthy, welcoming space for us to love ourselves and share our pain in order to be heard and create dialogue about human experiences.
“Omecihuatl” a film by Jacque Larrainzar shared this powerful statement of “How do you tell history, when you have no history. Omecihuatl would say ‘All we ever have is right now.'” The quote suggests that some groups have been marginalized and silenced but if you learn from the past and look towards what you can change in the present and help create a dream of liberation and empowerment in order to have a voice and share.
“Every Woman, Ever More” a film by Jourdan Imani Keith spoke of her experience at the 1993 March on Washington in which “For the first time, the only time, I saw what it must be like to be straight. To be safe, to be the majority. We were everywhere, We were normal.”
“Showing love in public. Just being. Unafraid.”
The final video I remember was focused on bringing the culture and dance alive in many different Latino communities, despite the difference in ethnicities or country. It shows how they are interconnected and that strength comes through acknowledging all races and cultural practices, where they originate from and the meanings behind them.
Following the Film Festival I was excited to see the Seattle Fandango Project and the Yakima Fandango community perform by playing music and dancing with the mixture of sound carrying through the melodies from the instruments and voices to the sound of acoustic steps amplified throughout the room. This beautiful performance was accompanied by the Women’s Caribbean Steel Pan Project which is a group of women who come together and learn how to play the steep pan drum and they also used other types of drums. They finished off their performance with a short choreographed dance along to the music which escalated the energy in the room and brought the end to a wonderful experience. Hearing new types of music brought new wonder of different instruments as well as different sounds.
I regrettably missed the Keynote speaker Evelyn Harris but caught the end and heard her amazing singing accompanied by Janice Scroggins on the piano and a recap of a message she had stated earlier. I had returned for the closing of the 2nd day of the conference which was a performance by 206 Zulu members and a couple of B-girls and a young B-boy. Julie C and Sista Hailstorm put on a performance that to me sounded pretty activist which is fitting and highlighted important themes within their work.
All in all it was a successful evening full of love and sharing which I fully appreciated.
Group 3 Latina 