Autumn is the season of change. It is the season where trees shed their old leaves and make room for new ones. With all the female empowerment we have been seeing in pop culture lately, such as the various actresses standing up to their sexual harassers in the film industry, actors supporting these women in their claims, and even the #metoo campaign where individuals share their stories of sexual harassment, it feels like society is shedding old habits, and growing towards a more progressive and accepting future. This is why when I heard about Queens of the New Age and their event “AUTUMN” I was interested in attending.
The Queens of the New Age focus on the empowerment of women, particularly women of color, by utilizing a music showcase platform that also incorporates art. They believe that empowering women, particularly female creatives, leads to the empowerment of the community. As a hispanic female creative, I am extremely fond of this concept and commemorate the Queens of the New Age for embarking on such a powerful movement. As women, it is exceedingly vital that we provide each other with the platforms and encouragement we need to succeed.
Experiencing their Autumn event while I was on vacation in Los Angeles last week was an enlightening experience. For one, the Queens of the New Age put me on to some beautiful and talented queens in music. Headliners Linafornia, Mereba and Azul all blew me away. Linafornia had us jiving and dancing to her set, while Mereba and Azul both encaptured us with such intimate and outstanding performances.
I loved all the performers and DJs, but the artist that stood out most was Azul. Azul was draped from head to toe in a white gown, almost like an Arabian/Middle Eastern princess, and her backup singers were dressed in black hooded cloaks. Her performance gave me goosebumps, her sound, especially the combination of her voice with low electronic tones, was enchanting. Despite her being fully covered, no part of her body was revealed at all, her voice and songs still contained a sort of sultriness, serving as a statement that women can be sexy and vulnerable without having to undress. Her performance was so encapturing that the stylistic choice of her option only made it that much more artistic, intimate and enjoyable.
It was a pleasure being in the room alongside such progressive and inspiring female creatives, even the various male creatives who came out to show love. Seeing the crowd gather to support such an important movement shows that the creative community embraces the season of change – we are growing closer and closer to an age of community pushed through the empowerment of women; an age fit for queens.
Next show is on November 10. For more information about Queens of the New Age and there events click here.
Words and photos by Caroline Cardenas.
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