Can A Sista Rock A Mic?

Ever wonder how we went from Ms. Melodie, Queen Latifah, Monie Love, MC Lyte, Salt N’ Pepa and Bahamadia to Lil’ Kim, Jackie O’, Trina and Foxy Brown? No disrepect to the latter of the bunch but the promiscuous, sexually charged lustful woman has become the predominant image in today’s hip hop culture and rap music in addition to all other media outlets as well.

Insert Kimani Anku who started the B-Girl Manifesto which turned into Can A Sista Rock the Mic Festival (CASRAM) is similar to Phildelphia’s Black Lily. Anku started this in 2005 and Brandon Felton decided that he wouldn’t allow the Silver Spring, MD native to go it alone. The main purpose of CASRAM is to edcuate the masses and bring to them presence of women artists who don’t fall and have not settled into the formulaic system of aforementioned performers. I know you all are wondering how are two men directing a women’s focused festival, Kimani and Brandon are the orginators but there is plenty of help on both sides of the genders to sustain a true representation of what CASRAM’s message.

Going into their third year of this Washington, DC hosted festival, the artists are bigger and better. The grand opening will stage Stones Throw artists Georgia Anne Muldrow with Dudley Perkins, illadelphia’s Bahamadia and DC’s own Emoni Fela just to name a few. Also an exciting aspect of the festival will be the “Lady Beatmakers Competition” which similar to Beat Society will showcase what women can do behind the boards.

In addition to the boom bap CASRAM will also feature the women behind the mic that are currently progressing the r&b sound with artists like Sy Smith, Carol Riddick, Yazarah aka Purple Saint James and the Districts own Alison Carney. There are plenty more surprises included in this five day festival which starts today through Sunday but I was requested to keep those treatsto make sure DC, Maryland and Virginia attend.

It was and is very important to keep the festival housed in the nation’s capitol because it’s
Kimani Anku opinion that, “DC gets passed over so that’s why we wanted to make sure everybody in DC and everybody in the country knows that DC is a hotbed for artists.” Brandon Felton wants DC to be the spot that people come to not just for the tourist attractions and the Cherry Blossom Parade but he wants, “…people to come here every year and not only see the local talent but see the vibe and have everyone stand together and rep!” A more poignant message than that from Felton is that the artists that come in from out of town get exposed to the DC scene and realize that DC artists are here and just as good as the next artist.

Brandon Felton feels, “If you give someone more than one option you’re going to see more than one way of doing something, all we see right now is the same prototype that Lil’ Kim started and it’s more than that.” CASRAM is that space that will allow and continue to make room for the myraid of feminine expressions to manifest.

In additon to workshops, networks and live concerts CASRAM is sure to begin to cement its name in the plethora of festivals that have become household names in hip hop and r&b scene. CASRAM is well worth coming out in the heat to see the otherside that DC and women all over the country have to offer to counter-balance the current images that predominantly exist and are promoted towards women of color.

For more info on Can A Sista Rock the Mic Festival and all the events head to bgirlmanifesto.com