Betty Makoni: Top 20 Greatest Female Musicians Globally

On the Never Again show, the founder of the Girl Child Network, Betty Makoni presents a selection of the Top 20 female musicians in the 21 st century who have advanced the goals of Women and Girls Empowerment.

By Betty Makoni

Muzvare Betty Makoni would like to extend her heartfelt congratulations to Female Musicians who have been selected as good role models especially to girls by using the art of music to empower women and raise awareness on some injustices women and girls have to fight daily in the home, school, community and at work.

It is a happy new year as 2014 is here and Makoni before 2014  invites the world to support such great efforts by the women who step out from tradition and through music empower and inspire some women and girls especially those living in places where there are NO RIGHTS.

Music that empowers women and girls is music that communicates their inner strength, courage, bravery and portrays them as equals. Such music uplifts the position of women and girls and helps to stop gender stereotypes where women are always wrong.

The Top 20 Global Female Musicians list is compiled by Muzvare Betty Makoni and a team of gender experts after spending at least a year monitoring gender sensitive music round the globe.

As you are aware music is a tool to fight for justice and equality and our female musicians who advance rights of women and girls fight on behalf of the voiceless and help educate society on the positive side of women and girls.

Music is what young people follow and imagine if some musicians sing about women and girls being victims, dull, ugly, sex objects, sex slaves of men and boys, we risk creating societies that further look down upon women and girls as second class citizens.

Many injustices like apartheid were fought against using music and so will be women and girls causes. We need more and more musicians who view women and girls as positive agents of change.

‘Every form of art and in this case music remains a most powerful tool to fight gender inequalities. There are many female musicians who have answered to the world of technology and are producing great transformational music.

However, their voices remain subdued due to lack of visibility and the resources necessary to strategically position themselves.

Always those promoted by major media houses are those stripping naked or portraying women as sex objects. My top 20 list of great female musicians is meant to be a reminder that women and girls are using music to help transform mind-sets of many on the power of women to lead globally.

I am aware that where there are mobs of people cheering, there is a woman stripped naked or there is a woman who is a sex object.

I am aware such music sells faster but it is time women and girls join a global movement where they change the message to empowering each other. I know my effort is very small but all the same I feel I must do something.

1. Sky Scrapper-Sam Bailey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wnyOVHGj_g

2. Greatest Love of all- Whitney Houston http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYzlVDlE72w

2. Roucheon Iloyi –Love Rou- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwHzvq5KF2Q

3. Get Up –Esse Agasse- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6EVPKsArSE

4. Tantra Zawadi- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYQKA5ts-I0

5. African Woman –BECCA- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FY1N68qPmc

6. Love that is real- Magdalene Magda-leen Adenaike- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCBH53NlPQs

7. Revolution –Tracy Chapman- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2wneBVssPc

8. Turn Around –Kyriah Dee- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjSrqbLlK-w

9. Pursuit of Happiness- Elsheba- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzXZqnanu4M

10. These wings are made  to fly -Little Mix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bld54OBTdU8

11.Mama –Brenda Fassie – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Fyoo_2XnE

12. Mwanasikana munhu –Fungisai Mashavave – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YTpzg16ZCc

13. Runonzi Rudo-Tracy Mbirimi Pachihera- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yFdiy1hoeg

14. I can take it anymore- Regina Bhobho –Zimbabwe

15.  Let Go-Esse Agasse- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHXyw-x187M

16. Mother-You are more than a superstar-For Fikelephi Jackson-Live- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHXyw-x187M

17. VaChihuri (Male Support Act) to Discover by Mandisa – https://www.facebook.com/mandisamusic

18. Akudziwa-Malawi- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jDVGqr6guE

19. Girls of the Nation stand up and rise-GCN Bindura Girls Club –Zimbabwe –www.gcnzimbabwe.org

20. Ramba –GCN Empowerment Album-Zimbabwe –www.gcnzimbabwe.org