A staple in the Bay Area for years, lady DJ Zita has been steadily building a DJ queendom beat by beat. Known as a party rocker, classic record provider, tireless promoter and meticulous organizer, Zita has brought her sisterhood sounds to dancefloors on both coasts and overseas since 1999. Her captivating sound spans the eras and blends genres of body-rockin’ music; she’ll seamlessly segue from boombox classic hip hop to mothership trunk funk, spin smooth R&B treats along with timeless soul heroines and heroes, flip reggae dancehall riddims, throwback to ’80s pop freestyle, and groove the dancefloor with her soulful deep house. At first one of only a handful of women on the scene, Zita established Bay Area Sistah Sound (BASS) to unite women DJs and performers. She can also be found most weekends holding down residencies in San Francisco and Oakland as part of DJ duo Golden Soundscapes with partner Dmadness, as well as producing fresh events spotlighting women in hip hop and guesting at many premier music nights and venues. With her dazzling style, fierce determination, and golden touch on the wheels, DJ Zita has changed the landscape and continues to shine.

DJ Zita – WHERE MY LADIES AT? A Tribute to the Queens of True School Hip Hop by DJ Zita

Find out more about DJ Zita here:

http://djzita.com/ and http://soundcloud.com/dj-zita

Himanee Gupta-Carlson presents: What It Means to Be a B-Girl – A Celebration of Women in Hip Hop, at Garfield Community Center on Friday, July 23rd, 2010 at 7:30PM.  This event features performances by some of the women Himanee interviewed while gathering research for her project.

She went on to write an essay called “Planet B-Girl,” that has been accepted by the editors of New Political Science, publish date TBA.  “Planet B-Girl” focuses on how feminism connects with the political potential of hip-hop.

Please come enjoy this free hour long show, and don’t forget to bring friends, family members, and children.  I hope everyone leaves inspired!

B-Girl Bench monthly DJ Workshop is every first Wednesday of the month at Electric Tea Garden (1402 E. Pike St. Seattle 98122) from 6-9PM. Equipment will be provided for an open table/hands on environment. Learn from experienced DJ’s B-Girl, Lady Jane, Joy and Ricki Leigh! This workshop is free to women of all ages. What are you waiting for? Come through!

Ladies First is a hip hop show hosted by CARA and facilitated by Heidi Jackson.  Come for the all womens hip hop performances and open mic every first Saturday of the month at Hidmo Restaurant (2000 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98144) from 8-10pm. Brought to you by C.A.R.A. All Ages, $5 Cover.

Email bgirlbench@gmail.com for more info.

What skills and resources do we need to succeed in the music industry?  What makes Hip Hop a unique platform for us in general?  How do we provide a network, support system, and leadership as women in Hip Hop?  What responsibility do we have to the community, the youth, and other women in the industry?  How can we bridge the gap and help support women in different parts of the country and the world?  What forms of independent media can we use to get our voices and art out there that is realistic and accessible?  We are trying to answer a few of these questions here at B-Girl Bench.

Mission…
B-Girl Bench is an online, physical and mental space for women to be empowered as leaders, mentors and artists who promote social change and increase the visibility of women in Hip Hop.

Vision…
B-Girl Bench is part of a larger, universal idea that supports transformative leadership of all people in Hip Hop from the local to global perspective.

Goals…

• Create opportunities for women to take the skills they learn out into the community.
• Attend events in the Pacific Northwest region and beyond that promote women in Hip Hop and bring women in from collective women-centered spaces.
• Provide internship and apprenticeship opportunities for women to further their development and knowledge in Hip Hop.
• Build networks of women in the community by creating a directory of women in Hip Hop as a resource platform.
• Outsource the talents of the collective to mentor and educate the community at large.

Resources and Funding…
If you are able to make a contribution to B-Girl Bench, or would like more information for bookings, events, panels, or projects, please contact us at this time.

Contact: bgirlbench:at:gmail.com
Myspace: myspace.com/bgirlbench
Youtube: youtube.com/bgirlbench