MDMArchive was proud to bring two important panels to Louder than War Festival in November 2023, hosted by our very own Karen Gabay, Trustee and award-winning producer for TV and Radio. The first celebrating the return of our Black Female Voices panel from 2017, where the leading black women from Manchester explore their work as vocalists, songwriters and producers and openly discuss the difficulties of the industry and challenges, to a packed and appreciative audience on the Saturday, starring left to right on the video Sylvia Tella, Cleopatra Madonna Higgins, Yvonne Shelton and Melanie Williams. What these four singers have in common is that they all became professional artists as teenagers, and their success has been consistent until the present day, Sylvia Tella is best known for pop success with the Blow Monkeys, and solo success as a Lovers Rock artist. Melanie Williams and Yvonne Shelton have been worked together since college days gaining pop and chart success and now are the vocalists with Hacienda Classical. Cleopatra was known for her success with her sisters in Cleopatra and is known for her work in Thriller in the West End and award-winning performances at Edinburgh Fringe. In this discussion chaired by broadcaster and music historian Karen Gabay, the women have a frank, vulnerable and open conversation about life in the music business.



On the Sunday we celebrated 50 years of Hip-Hop and shone a light on two important women in Hip-Hop culture from Manchester, and the amazing previously unheard stories of starting out, changes in perceptions of women in the industry and in hip hop more centrally. Celebrating the first black hip-hop woman to be signed to a record label from Manchester, Martay McKenzie,- who was signed at the age of 13 and is now an in-demand songwriter, performer and West End star - and OneDa, who is currently breaking down barriers for women and non-binary artists in Manchester and gaining great acclaim with her unique lyrical and performance style.

Martay McKenzy is the first female rapper from Manchester to sign a major record deal, and this all happened for her at the age of 13. She is now a successful house and dance music songwriter and artist and is one of the lead performers in The Lion Kng musical in London’s West End, starring as Shenzi.

One Da is Mancunian artist who’s motto is Manny on the Rise x Pussy Power. OneDa is an entrepreneur who has established a women’s and non-binary Hip-Hop Collective Herchester. With over a decade’s experience in the industry, OneDa’s career was moving to a national level. This conversation connected OneDa with a Manchester history she was unaware of and brought together two visionary women together to have a discussion hosted by Karen
Gabay