In the music industry, everything is far from being just glitz and glamour. While a recently released study indicates that in the music industry, one in two women faces sexist comments or actions. Contacted by Clicanoo, Maya Kamaty shares her experience.
The artist particularly points the finger at festival programmers. “They tell you “ah if I were 20 years younger”… There are also groups or musicians who invite you to hotel rooms.”
She herself has experienced this. She cites one instance in particular, when a programmer told her, over a drink, “You’re pretty, bitch.” In response at the time, young and new to the industry, Maya “chuckled” nervously, not knowing what else to do.
“Today, these are situations that I face less, because I am no longer fresh flesh. I’ve come across quite a few men like that. We see that young people are experiencing the same thing. When we arrive, we have no response and we don’t expect this kind of atmosphere. We are naive when we start,” she regrets.
“We tell ourselves that music is a caring environment, we tell ourselves that there is no question of skin color or gender, but it is talent or work that will pay off. When we arrive, we quickly become disillusioned. Today, I have an album called “Sovaz”, it’s not for nothing. I’m less afraid and I respond more easily.”
She explains that in “World music”, which mediates popular forms of traditional musical expression, festival programmers are often “white men, aged around fifty”.
Moreover, Maya can no longer count the times she has heard programmers talking about other Reunion artists: “she is very pretty, we are going to program her without having listened to her music”.
Fear of reprisals, men with long arms
Although she has often faced this type of situation, Maya has never filed a complaint. “I am not going to file a complaint for this type of remark”, and addresses the subject of fear of reprisals.
“If we generally say nothing, it is often for fear of reprisals, because they are long arms. Some make it seem like it and others really have it. So for young people entering the industry, I can only recommend surrounding yourself with women so as not to be isolated. We need to talk about it and today, that’s not yet enough. Many people are not worried at all,” regrets the singer.
> Also read: More than one in two Reunion artists say they have been the victim of sexist acts
Figures that do not reassure
If Maya is testifying today, it is not to make it a “media trial, because that is the work of justice”, she indicates. “But it is certain that when we see the Darmanin affair which ended in dismissal despite numerous testimonies, it is certain that it raises doubts. In addition, recently released figures indicate that the majority of police officers vote for the National Rally. It shows that we are not listened to from the start and that we do not have enough secure spaces,” regrets the singer.
She returns to the prevailing silence in the community. “On the island, there are stories that we don’t talk about and people don’t dare to file complaints. We still saw a theater director who was able to continue his work for years without being worried. It’s a job for smooth talkers who know how to express themselves very well, with lots of nice words. They proclaim themselves and make themselves believe that they can do anything. In live performance, it’s a show job,” concludes the young woman.
Same in cinema
The study talks about the artistic world in general. Female directors are not spared. Edith Semmani, organizer of the women’s film festival, confesses:
“With certainty, there are things happening on the island, we are not spared. There are many female directors who are not taken seriously. What is terrible is that we women, Insults and sexist remarks are trivialized.”
“When I was a little chorister, well-known singers from Reunion Island tried to take advantage of us. They take advantage of the studio to obtain favors and when you don’t know anyone, when you are vulnerable, you can give in,” says the young woman before indicating that these facts can occur anywhere, at any time.
“It also comes from clients, in a wedding, the bride leaves and the husband comes straight to flirt with you. »
“The same goes for the organizers, that’s why we have to go through agents or film operators so as not to be confronted with sexist phrases. They are clearly interested in your body and not your music,” confirming Maya’s comments above.
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