Music, passion, and powerful women: Launch of amplifyHER, an exciting new UN podcast
AmplifyHER was launched by the UN on Thursday and celebrates exciting women artists from all over the world.
Many women produce art in the face of challenges they face in society, whether related to climate change, human rights, or simply because of their gender
In AmplifyHER, we will hear from some of the most exciting and talented women singers in the business, from teenage Thai rapper Milli to the voice of the revolution in Tunisia, Emel.
The series features inspiring women musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds, talking about their challenges as women in a male-dominated industry, how they've overcome barriers, and what motivates them to continue creating music.
Laura Quinones said making the series was a joy. I was able to speak to these huge talents from their safe spaces, such as studios, kitchens, and bedrooms.
The United Nations team identified 10 women artists, representing a diverse range of countries and cultures, thanks to help from music entertainment company SoundCloud.
The producer of the series says it was difficult to come up with a list of artists. SoundCloud put together a great selection of incredibly gifted musicians, and we had to make some difficult decisions about the 10 that we chose.
AmplifyHER is dedicated to those who have their dreams unfulfilled because of discrimination and oppression. The empowerment of women and girls and the achievement of gender equality are central to the mission of the United Nations.
amplifyHER will help us to reach a new audience of young people, especially girls, and encourage them to find out more about the ways the UN is working to improve people's lives
Wherever you get your podcasts, AmplifyHER can be found. You should like and subscribe to ensure that you never miss an episode.
AmplifyHER is a production of the United Nations. The first episode of the show is available on all major platforms. There will be a weekly release of subsequent episodes.
The first Thai artist to perform alone at a world-famous music festival won over a new audience. Since the release of her first single in 2020, she has been making waves in her country thanks to her witty lyrics in English, Thai, and several regional dialects.
MC Yallah had to fight her way back into the music industry after taking time out to raise her family. She signed with Nyege Nyege, a record company that supported artists outside the mainstream. She has taken her music to a new level and is now drawing large crowds across Europe.
Carmen is an artist and a writer. She sings in both Spanish and English. She has lived in Mexico, the US and Spain but still has a strong attachment to her native Venezuela. Her videos have over a million views.
After a video of her performing a version of the song "My Word is Free" went online during the Arab Spring, she was named the voice of the revolution in Tunisia.
A young singer with a huge voice was raised in Canada. She started making a name for herself when she was just 15 years old. She was invited to feature on David Guetta's song "Battle" when she was in high school.
Adomaa started singing covers of songs she liked and recording them on her phone. She is seen as a pioneer of afro-jazz and alternative music in her country.
DejaVilla is a duo she formed with a Brooklyn-based producer and songwriter who provides the dance rhythms to her. Making a living in the music industry can be hard in Jamaica, so her parents encouraged her to study in the hotel industry. One of her favorite things to do is cook.
Adomaa started singing covers of songs she liked and recording them on her phone. She is seen as a pioneer of afro-jazz and alternative music in her country.
Alena Murang is working to preserve her Dayak Kelabit indigenous roots. She was the first woman to teach and perform the Sape, an instrument traditionally reserved for men. She sings in two languages that are in danger of becoming extinct.
Lia Wang is a Chinese and German artist. Her early releases drew global attention and led to a personal invitation from Doja Cat to support her on a string of German shows. She has a lot of subscribers on the video-sharing website.
When she was a teenager, she began posting cover videos on the internet. She built an audience of five million followers in just a few months after launching her page. Her first original song, producer man, becomes the most viewed demo on a Tik Tok video in 2020.
Times are changing, for the better. Especially when it comes to women's empowerment!
Power to Empower
The series is a compelling mix of music, interviews, and natural sound, featuring inspiring women musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds, talking about their challenges as women in a male-dominated industry, how they’ve overcome barriers, and what drives them to continue creating music.
“Making this series was a joy,” says the amplifyHER presenter, Laura Quinones. “I was able to have conversations with these huge talents, who felt comfortable being vulnerable with me, speaking to me from their safe spaces: studios, kitchens, even their bedrooms!”
With help from music entertainment company SoundCloud, which is committed to supporting women artists, the UN team identified 10 women artists, representing a diverse range of countries and cultures (see below for the full list).
“One of the hardest things about making this series was coming up with the shortlist of artists,” says the series producer, Conor Lennon. “SoundCloud put together a great selection of immensely gifted musicians, and whittling them down to the 10 that we’ve chosen involved making some difficult decisions!”
