Womanica

Anna Mae Aquash (1945-1975) was an Indigenous activist known for her advocacy for Indigenous rights during the American Indian Movement (AIM) in the 1970s. Her commitment to the cause made her a symbol of resistance against injustices faced by Native American communities. Her life was cut short in 1975 under mysterious circumstances, sparking ongoing investigations and debates about her death and...

Jean Ritchie (1922-2015) was the mother of folk music. She was an instrumental voice in the American folk music revival of the 1940s and 60s, and introduced a traditional dulcimer sound to a wider audience.  For Further Reading: Jean Ritchie, Lyrical Voice of Appalachia, Dies at 92  Library of Congress: Jean Ritchie 1922-2015 Jean Ritchie Interviews Her Family, With Documentary Recordings Mountain...

Margaret Watts Hughes (c.1847-1907) was a Welsh singer, songwriter and scientist. She invented the eidophone, which allowed her to observe and visualize the human voice. For Further Reading: The Century, 1891 : Visible Sound Picturing a Voice: Margaret Watts Hughes and the Eidophone Divine agency Bringing to light the voice figures of Margaret Watts-Hughes (pdf) This month, we're talking about Wom...

Maria Szymanowska (1789-1831) was a virtuoso pianist, one of the first to perform solely from memory. She was known for her short, elegant salon pieces that were full of emotional depth. Her work was most likely an influence for Chopin.  For Further Reading:  Maria Szymanowska: Pianist and Composer USC Polish Music Center: Maria Szymanowska Maria Szymanowska and the Salon Music of the Early Ninete...

Aimé Painé (1943-1987) was a Mapuche singer-songwriter from Argentina. As she worked to rediscover her own identity, she became a symbol of resistance against oppression, advocating for the rights of her people through her music and activism. Painé's legacy endures as an icon of indigenous pride and cultural resilience in the face of adversity. For Further Reading: Aimé Painé, the messenger Aimé P...

Daphne Oram (1925-2003) was one of Britain’s first electronic musicians. She co-founded the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, a leading sound effects unit known for experimental work in sound, and developed her own “drawn-sound” technique known as Oramics, which involved drawing on film strips to produce sound.  For Further Reading: Daphne Oram: Portrait of an electronic music pioneer The woman who could...

Beryl Mortimer (c.1928-2001) was a renowned Foley artist that worked in British cinema from the 1950s to the 1990s. Her most acclaimed projects, though she went uncredited on many, include Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Gold Diggers (1983), and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). She was affectionately known as ‘Beryl the Boot’ for her expertise in recreating footsteps on the screen. For Further Reading...

Florence Violet McKenzie (1890–1982) was Australia's first female electrical engineer, and founder of the Women's Emergency Signalling Corps.  For Further Reading: Florence Violet McKenzie (1890–1982) Radio Girl: The Story of the Extraordinary Mrs Mac, Pioneering Engineer and Wartime Legend   Victorian Honour Roll of Woman Signals, currents, and wires: the untold story of Florence Violet McKenzie...

Hilda Matheson (1888-1940) was the Director of Talks at the BBC for several years, greatly shaping the content and style of talk radio. She revolutionized the way people spoke into microphones on air and represented women and queer people in the broadcasting space. For Further Reading: The Forgotten Queer Woman Who Revolutionized Radio Hilda Matheson Obituary Tracing Hilda Matheson through the BBC...

Una Marson (1905-1965) was a Jamaican feminist, activist, writer, and broadcaster. She became the first Black producer at the BBC with her show Calling the West Indies, which connected West Indian migrants with family and loved ones during the turbulent wartime years. For Further Reading: The Life of Una Marson, 1905-65 Una Marson: Our Lost Caribbean Voice (Review) West Indies Calling (1944) Tropi...

Cordell Jackson (1923-2004) was a Memphis-based guitarist, songwriter and producer and an often-overlooked pioneer in early rock music. She was in her sixties by the time she received national attention for her masterful guitar skills, earning her the title “The Rock n’ Roll Granny. For Further Reading: Overlooked No More: Cordell Jackson, Elder Stateswoman of Rock ’n’ Roll - The New York Times  ...

Gauhar Jaan (1873-1930) was one of the first Indian voices captured on gramophone records. She was a famous entertainer in India, who could perform in over seven languages. She was a regular entertainer in royal courts across the country.  For Further Reading:  My Name is Gauhar Jaan: The Life and Times of a Musician (book) My name is Gauhar Jaan Melodies on Record India’s First Ever Recorded Song...

Victoria Hernandez (1897-1998) was a Latin music entrepreneur and the owner of two vibrant Puerto Rican music stores in New York City. She was a beloved figure in her community for her work helping Puerto Rican musicians make and sell their music. Her store, now known as Casa Amadeo, is the oldest Latin music store in New York City today. For Further Reading: My Music is My Flag Latinas in the Uni...

Alice Guy Blaché (1873-1968) is widely considered the first female filmmaker. She experimented with sound, color, and casting in the nascent days of film making and produced hundreds of films — and then was written out of history.  For Further Reading: Overlooked No More: Alice Guy Blaché, the World’s First Female Filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché: Cinema’s First Woman Director in Newspapers The Memoirs...

Sophie Germain (1776-1831) was a French mathematician and physicist who contributed to the study of acoustics, elasticity, and number theory. She was forced to assume a fake male identity to have her work taken seriously, but her efforts paved the way for further breakthrough discoveries in mathematics. For Further Reading: Celebrating women in mathematics and science – pp. 37-44 Sophie Germain Br...

Maud Cuney Hare (1874–1936) was a musicologist, pianist, author, and activist during the early Jim Crow era. She is praised for creating one of the earliest collections of African-American music. Maud was also part of Niagara Movement and wrote for the NAACP’s magazine, running in the same circles as W.E.B. Du Bois and other Black Bostonian intellectuals. For Further Research: Cuney-Hare, Maud (18...

This International Women’s Day we have a special episode of Womanica in partnership with iHeart Radio’s initiative, Pass the Mic. Tune in to hear host Jenny Kaplan speak to her mom, U.S. Representative Kathy Manning, about why women's voices matter. Then, we’ll get into today’s Womanican: Mary “Dee” Dudley (1912-1964). She was the first Black woman disc jockey in the US. Through her fan-favorite s...

Jackie Cochran (c. 1906-1980) was the first woman to break the sound barrier. In her time as a pilot, she held more records than any other contemporary aviator. For Further Reading:  Meet Jacqueline Cochran Wings to Beauty: Aviation Pioneer Jacqueline Cochran American Women Pilots A forgotten moment in physiology: the Lovelace Woman in Space Program This month, we're talking about Women of Sound....

Gal Costa (1945-2022) was an iconic vocalist of Brazilian pop music. As one of the leading acts of the tropicalia movement in the late 1960s, Gal’s music reflected the social unrest of Brazilian youth under an oppressive military dictatorship.  For Further Reading: Gal Costa Musician - All About Jazz   U.S. DEBUT FOR A STAR FROM BRAZIL - The New York Times   Gal Costa, piercing voice of Brazil's T...

Winona Beamer (1923-2008) was a teacher, singer, dancer and keeper of indigenous Hawaiian culture. She taught Hawaiian history and dance for over 40 years, and composed many classic Hawaiian children’s songs.  For Further Reading:  Winona Beamer  Nora Beamer: Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox Hawaiiana | PBS HAWAIʻI PRESENTS This month, we're talking about Women of Sound. These women dominated t...

Anandavally (c. 1950s-2019) was a prolific Indian dubbing artist, known for her versatile vocal talents and impeccable timing. With a career spanning decades, she lent her voice to numerous iconic characters in Indian cinema. Anandavally's contributions to the world of dubbing enriched countless films and left an indelible mark on the industry. For Further Reading: Invisible Nightingale The Voice...

Toshiko Akiyoshi (1929-present) is a Japanese jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader. Her work, which combines standard jazz techniques with traditional Japanese instruments, has earned her 14 Grammy Award nominations. For Further Reading: After 75 Years, Jazz Pianist Akiyoshi Still Plays On The Art of Becoming a Jazz Musician: An Interview with Toshiko Akiyoshi Toshiko Akiyoshi's Jazz Orchestra B...

Marielle Franco (1979-2018) was a  Rio de Janeiro city council member and member of the Socialism and Liberty Party of Brazil. She was also a member of the LGBT community and a human rights activist, especially against police brutality in the favelas, or slums of the city. On March 14, 2018, she was shot four times in the head and killed by two unknown attackers. Many believe she was assassinated....

María Elena Moyano Delgado (1958-1992) was an afro-Peruvian activist and organizer whose focus on community-based solutions revolutionized self-governance in a deeply stratified Peru. Her commitment to social justice in the face of a discriminatory government and threats to her life inspired women across Peru to come forward in their communities. For Further Reading:  Remembering María Elena Moyan...

Mamá Tingó (1921-1974) was an Dominican activist who is often overlooked in historical accounts. She led protests to save her farm — and the farms of 350 other families — from an illegal land seizure. She was assassinated for trying to bring justice to her community.  For Further Reading: Mama Tingo: The Black Dominicana Revolutionary You Should Know | BELatina   The female revolutionary history f...