THE FESTIVAL OF FEMALE: PRESENTED BY HIYA LIVE

Scheduled for the weekend of March 13th and 14th, Hiya Live has curated a digital music festival featuring female artists from Southwest Asia and North African regions. As the passion project of Lebanese DJ and journalist Shirine Saad and Natalie Shooter-cofounder of the Beirut Groove Collective-the virtual festival is an extension of the Hiya podcast series, meaning“her” in Arabic. Saad’s series first began as a conversational outlet during quarantine but has since expanded to include some of Asia’s most revolutionary names in music, art, and global activism.

Described as “a statement against the patriarchy,” the festival is set to not only feature DJ sets and performances from Egyptian singer-songwriter Aya Metwali, DJ Lucia Kagramanyan, electronic artist Liliane Chella, MC and producer Makimakkuk, as well as Deena Abdelwahed but will also spotlight poetry presentations as well as live virtual interviews (via Resident Advisor).

In a recent press statement released by the festival promoters, each artistic act on the all-female lineup “makes music that marks the milestones of recent history, responding to Intifidas, occupation, wars, exile, protests, and invasions,” showcasing the revolutionary power that music and art possess. Set to broadcast live the second weekend of March, the virtual festival will be transmitted via Future Female Sounds, Mixcloud Live, Radio Alhara, in addition to Disco Tehran from all over Asia and Africa for the entire world to see.