The Women Who Rock (Un)Conference began with a blessing from a member of a coastal tribe. She acknowledged the people and tribes that once lived on the land we occupy now prior to colonization. Before the conference, she used sacred plants to purify the space of any ill-spirits so the conference space could be a place for good vibes, relaxation, and harmony. After the blessing, Professor Michelle Habell-Pallan and Professor Sonnet Retman introduced people, organizations, and sponsors that helped make the conference possible.

Once introductions were done, the first event of the conference was a dance routine performed by two people. The dance revolved around rhythmic feet pounding and a Spanish poem. Rhythmic feet patterns rose and fell in intensity as if it was linked with the Spanish dialogue that was about a journey of liberation and decolonization. Post-dance performance, the dancers discussed how dance can be a healing process and shared with a collective to empower everyone.

By: Jaylynn Lyons; Group 13

Walking into the event, I was overwhelmed with all of the beautiful colors and culture that radiated through the space. The energy in the room is fulfilling and the crowd’s expressions are full of love and happiness for the words and performances being presented. After the introductions, two members presented a beautiful poetic dance named “Where Do I Come From.” It displayed beautiful movements of the body and rhythmic patterns by the feet. There was dialogue in Spanish that illuminated the emotion of the dance as a whole. During the presentation, I was moved and invited into another universe full of inclusion and sharing. After the performance, they explained the importance of communication and how it can be presented through drumming, singing, and dancing. A beautiful quote shared by one of the dancers was “We all can drum, we all can sing, we all can dance.” They express how emotions soar through the rhythm and way the drum is played. They define it as a way of healing and portraying a story full of emotion. I was definitely enlightened by the performance and it was a great start to an amazing event. 

The first performance was a raw and real. It captures the yearning of an entire community, reclaiming voices to be powerful and bold and uncovering years of trauma through creative practices. It was so emotional because of the simplicity of the performance. It was bare feet hitting against a wooden board. The women wore white, their hair down, their arms flying as they moved their skirts in a wave. The lyrics were simple but I felt such an impact because of the emotional trauma that came through when speaking of where she came from. Shouting, we come from “una historia vieja, mala contada”, from “los sueños de nuestros ancestros”, it’s honoring the knowledge that came before us and the history that has been tainted. This powerful performance was a way to integrate women power through the feminine sounds of the rhythms while weaving the knowledge of their indigenous heritage.

In search of her identity, she revealed to is that in the uncovering of stories that have not been told, we will find our medicine. In the search of identity, you begin to find what society has placed on you, the restriction and expectations that stray us from our actual self. It’s this journey of self discovery that will dismantle judgements and free our true nature, our true selfs. 

It has been a really cool experience so far, the atmosphere here is something very special and different. To start the event off we are learning about some of these musicians, dancers, and artists up on the stage. They are being introduced by our professor, explaining all the things they have accomplished and done throughout their lives and what they are doing now. The women that are being introduced are very involved and really care about this event a lot. They are doing a drumming performance right now and showing us all the traditions that they have grown up and been through in their lives. They are explaining that these traditions are things that have been passed down from generation to generation.  Now all of the people that have came here today are coming together and dancing as a group. They are about to show us a few of their dance traditions.

Walking in, I feel an immediate warmth surrounding me. Not just from the people greeting me, but from the white sage scent and bright colors everywhere, getting me excited for the event to start. The paintings and decorated tissue paper is making me jump out of my seat. Evelyn Mikayla Martin(spelling may be wrong), a student at the University of Washington who is actively involved, came up first with an opening statement. I did not know that we were on Native American property, so that was very intriguing. I thought the art on the walls was very interesting because it is a graphic campaign started in Mexico by women bringing attention to gender violence which is very important. Some of the themes for this year are power of women and community, and the power of the rhythm. The first dance starts with a fiery passion of two women locking eyes and stomping their feet in a passionate rhythm. Their feet are stomping faster and faster making more of a beat. Singing has started, smiles are on their faces and hips are moving. The dance ended with a genuine hug between the two dancers and they mention that the dance is “Where do I come from” and is a piece about identity.

Arriving at the 9th annual Women Who Rock event, the vibe in the room is buzzing. The lively music sets a light mood while scattered conversation and laughter comes from every corner. Our professors are beaming, a mixture of nervous and giddy excitement, they’re ready to get the event up and going. A beautiful ofrenda sits at the front of the room. Yellow and orange paper flowers decorate the alter along with delicate piece of papel picado. Portraits, pictures and art work capture the loved ones that we wish to celebrate and honor. The ofrenda perfectly captures the essence of honoring and spreading ancestral knowledge because it’s a direct connection with those who have passed.  By continuing to acknowledge their existence for decades, the ofrenda is a way to explore the duality of human existence. 

Starting off the event with a blessing and cleansing of the room, I felt at peace. It was amazing to be a part of thanking the space and thanking all of the happiness that will be created through song, dance, and conversations. Acknowledging that we are in sacred space and on sacred land, it was important to honor those who have been here before us and those who are overlooked and silenced. What an amazing kick off to this event! 

Just putting the final touches on set up here at the Womxn Who Rock 2019 before the big crowds show up. Very cool to see the immense amount of care that has gone into the production of the stage decorations here. Thank you of the volunteers and everyone involved in set up! Extremely grateful to all of the speakers and performers and teachers who have come all this way to our Seattle community. I look forward to learning and connecting with different people. Vendors are in place and showing off amazing artwork towards the entryway. Let the (un) conference begin!

Hyping each other is a colloquial and culture term that means empowering each other when we take pictures. The way that looks like is when someone is taking a picture and we all help to raise her self esteem. As a collective we are all telling her she looks beautiful. We do this through phrases like YES QUEEN!!

Once we had finished the discussion with the feminist hip- hop artists we organically transitioned to taking pictures of each other. My heart felt joy as we were doing this. It was a praxis of being there for one another. And destroying the patriarchy. Yes, sounds wild. Although this is true because many of us women are defying western standards of beauty through being confident for the wholeness that we are. We have been fragmented and made guilty for being a women.

Hyping each other up is an expression of being there for one another. Which also breathes the same air as Buen Vivir, Sumak Kawsay. Hyping each other up is also an expression, in the same way that the feminist hip- hop artists use rap as an avenue of liberation.

Left to Right: Ana Cano Black Mama, Taki Amaru, Calle Cayejera, Yeka Libre.

August 17, 2018

It’s such a profound experience to gather powerful women in the hip-hop community for the cause of feminism. This picture was taken when the question was asked. How can hip- hop be used as medicine. Taki Amaru responded the following. “I use it as a vehicle to give the messages that my spirit needs to give”. I interpreted this as something that does not make up her entire life but it’s a tool that she freely uses to be able to transform her life. And so many of us use various tools to be able to create the lives we want to live. They express their truth through word and through rhythm. And at the same time they bring us all together to resonate and dance to their messages.