Take a look at what's in line at Malaysia's first all-female music festival, featuring local queens like Zamaera, Dolla and Lil Asian Thiccie! Why now, you ask? Why not?
Trust acclaimed female rapper and boundary-pushing proponent of Malaysian hip-hop, Zamaera to set the bar with Queendom Fest – an all-female music festival and creative playground never seen before on our local soil!
Queendom Fest, which takes place today (Dec 16, 2023) at LaLaPort BBCC’s Central Rooftop Garden has all the sauce: headlined by none other than Zamaera, the fully-female line-up also calls DOLLA, Hullera, Jovynn, Yunohoo, Lil Asian Thiccie, Meliha, The Impatient Sisters, MJisvicious, and SYA to the scene.
Zamaera envisions the fest to be beyond a space that compiles amazing music; it is a space that uplifts women which is able to strengthen the ties of the arts community through providing a platform for both female entrepreneurship and creativity.
Did we mention that the fest includes a sprawling marketplace-cum-social hub that consists over 40 homegrown, female-owned businesses and vendors?
Says Zamaera, “Having the music and vendor platform co-exist really pushes towards the idea of a cultural shift through a community-driven concept. And that cultural shift being to have
more female artists perform for music festivals and for women to step outside the societal-gender norms in our very much male-dominated industries.”
It was two years ago when Zamaera came up with the initial concept. Back then, she was organizing her very own Pop-Up tour, which spanned across Penang, Kuching, Ipoh, and Kuala Lumpur. Working closely with event and branding specialist Avinash Retnam from Kaia Collab, it quickly became an avenue for the artist in understanding her local fanbase, assessing the impact and timing of marketing and essentially, baby steps towards Queendom Fest.
A groundbreaking venture that will demonstrate the limitless potential of our local industry, this creative endeavor marks a serious(ly cool) chapter in Zamaera’s placement as the new reign: Malaysia’s Queen of Hip Hop.
Here’s more from Zamaera regarding Queendom Fest:
“As one of the few female rappers who have had the opportunity to perform on big stages such as Good Vibes Festival, Round Fest, and Baybeats, I have noticed that female artist representation at local music festivals and showcases has always been outnumbered by our male counterparts. Just last year alone out of over 14 festivals and showcases, 84% of the performers on stage were males. The music scene is ever-growing and we are seeing more and more emerging female artists. I feel that should reflect the opportunities that we provide to these female creatives. In the name of
inclusivity, equality and just a genuine love for the arts & culture, I want to see a brighter future for the female creatives of this nation.”
“I also want to emphasize that whilst the artist lineup is all-female, Queendom Fest is also working with many male professionals within the industry who support this idea of pushing women to the forefront by providing their expertise and knowledge, such as my co-organiser from TONGTONG Asia, Old Head Jin (FKA Jin Hackman). In comparison
to some other countries where women’s rights are largely discriminated against, Malaysia has many avenues for women to succeed. Yes, we still have so much more to improve on as a whole but steps like these would be beneficial to the improvement of our agenda in championing women through the arts & culture and entrepreneurship.”
Be a part of history; join the queendom.
Queendom Fest fest is fully supported by the Ministry of Communications and Digital and MyCreative Ventures, as part of their nationwide efforts to boost Malaysia’s creative industry through strategic funding and innovative investments. Zamaera is a recipient of the Dana Kandungan Digital Persembahan Muzik 2023.
Secure your tickets here if you haven’t already. More on the fest’s official Instagram page.
Read more stories like this on BASKL via the links below: