Hiya Live is a virtual festival that focuses on female artists from the regions of Southwest Asia and North Africa.

Some of the artists scheduled to perform include live electronic artist Liliane Chlela, Ramallah-based MC/producer Makimakkuk, Egyptian singer-songwriter Aya Metwali and Armenian-Austrian DJ Lucia Kagramanyan. Tunisian DJ/producer Deena Abdelwahed is also on the line up.

It’s a two-day festival, which is scheduled to run between March 13th and 14th. Written in the press statement is that each act on the line-up makes music that “marks the milestones of recent history, responding to Intifadas, occupation, wars, exile, protests and invasions,”

Each artist will perform live from their retrospective city, and their performance will be broadcast via platforms including Radio Alhara, Disco Tehran, Future Female Sounds, Beirut Groove Collective and Mixcloud Live.

This event marks the tenth anniversary of the Arab uprisings plus Women’s History Month, and the virtual festival describes itself as “a statement against the patriarchy.”

In addition to live performances and DJ sets, poetry readings and interviews are in the event’s schedule. Organised by Lebanese journalist and DJ Shirine Saad, plus Beirut Groove Collective co-founder Natalie Shooter, the festival is an offshoot of Saad’s podcast series “HIYA” which means  “her” in Arabic.

H/T: Resident Advisor