This weekend, the world will celebrate International Women's Day (8 March), a pivotal campaign to spotlight the multidimensional struggles that women face and continually redefine the conversation around the move to greater gender equality. While we should take care not to treat this as a fleeting affair that holds significance only during one day each year, it is still worthwhile to take a moment to honour all the women who have made an indelible difference and taught us some of the most important lessons we've had to learn.
Ahead of the actual day, we invite seven musicians to share with us about the powerful female influences that have shaped their lives and careers, and helped them become who they are.
Vanessa Fernandez
Who is the biggest female influence in your life and why?
My mum. I’ve picked up certain characteristics from her, from how I act professionally to all kinds of personal relationships. I’ll always be grateful for what she called the “literature lessons” we had as a child, where after a movie she would sit me and my brother down and analyse the plot and characters so we could share our opinions and develop our morality. She is always proud of me and she’s the loudest supporter at any of my gigs she attends - I wouldn’t have persevered in anything artistic if not for her. I am always grateful that she says “I love you” often and freely.
Who is the biggest female influence in your music and why?
My cousin Alemay Fernandez. Watching her sing in the church choir, later on as a professional musician, and to this day at any gig I manage to catch of her... still leaves me in awe. Having watched so many local musicians, there is nobody who owns a stage and moves a crowd so naturally yet professionally the way she does. Her skill, confidence, authenticity and genuine warmth as a human being are all things I love about her and try to incorporate in my own craft.
What’s the best advice you’ve received from these women?
From my mum it has been to never compromise integrity because it’s just not worth it. From Alemay it has been to always remember to breathe deeply.
Listen to Vanessa Fernandez's song below.
Daniel Sid
Who is the biggest female influence in your life and why?
My mother was and remains to be the biggest female influence in my life. She was adored by many and its obvious to everyone who knew her why that was the case. She was loving, understanding, helpful and incredibly talented. Growing up, she quit her job to work from home so she could spend time with us. She worked too many jobs but still had time for us. A journalist, a TV producer, a writer, an advisor, a consultant and above all a mother and friend. Growing up with her love made me who I am today. She taught me so much about life and she taught me love, like only a mother can.
Who is the biggest female influence in your music and why?
She is also the biggest influence in my music. I grew up to lullabies sung by her, accompanied by her guitar, she had an amazing voice and influenced who I listened to growing up. Our house was always filled with music. Every car ride, to and fro the hospital, we’d be listening to music. She had incredible taste in music, new and old. (James Taylor, Elvis, The Beatles, Passenger, George Ezra...the list goes on and on [George Ezra pun intended]). Both my singles mention her. In fact, bluer skies, was about her passing away. She knew it was for her and listened to it everyday until she passed away. It was my song to her, about her and for her. Losing her is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through, but that too has made me and my music the way it is.
What’s the best advice you’ve received from these women?
There was so much advice that she left me with, “It’s okay to cry”, “Choose who you surround yourself with wisely” and her last wishes for me: “Your music makes me and so many people happy, keep doing what you do but make sure you take care of yourself too."
I write this with tears in my eyes. I’ll always love you mom. Rest In Peace.
Listen to Daniel Sid's song below.
Haneri
Who is the biggest female influence in your life and why?
My mom. She's been an ever present source of inspiration to me in every aspect of my life. She taught me to face my challenges head on, to respect everyone, that there's something to love in everyone and to always look at the positive in every situation.
Who is the biggest female influence in your music and why?
Oh man this is a tough question. There are so many women I look up to in this industry. One that's definitely on top is Sara Bareilles. I love how she writes and how she's stayed true to everything it is she's wanted to do, regardless of if it succeeds or not, she stands by it and I truly respect that.
What’s the best advice you’ve received from these women?
Mom: You're never alone.
Sara Bareilles: You can turn every situation to your benefit and not compromise your art.
Listen to Haneri's song below.
Annette Lee
Who is the biggest female influence in your life and why?
My music mentor, Karen. She vets through and listens to all my songs before they see the light of day - and would give me honest feedback! She guides me in my performances and joins me on recording trips, and helps me to grow both in my music and my purpose.
Who is the biggest female influence in your music and why?
Brooke Fraser. While I definitely have multiple female musical influences, Brooke Fraser stands out as someone I admire and respect because of her lyrical poetry and the charismatic authority she carries even in her life. Brooke is someone I look up to because she carries beauty beyond her music, and into her person and character.
What’s the best advice you’ve received from these women?
My best advice from Karen has always been to strive for excellence. I usually internalise that advice in the more Singlish manner: 'Wanna do, do properly’. Hahaha. She also gives me a lot of valuable technical advice!
The best advice I’d gotten from Brooke isn’t given directly to me, but it’s something she’s once mentioned on an instagram post. She wrote, referring to having differing opinions with others: ‘Even when we disagree, let’s be music - not noise.’
Listen to Annette Lee's song below.
Boon Hui Lu (文慧如）
Who is the biggest female influence in your life and why?
It would be my mom hands down.
Growing up with her, she taught me a lot of positive values, which got me through certain rough patches in life later on. She doesn’t need to sit down and lecture you with these values; she is someone who simply walks the talk and you learn something from her from there. She is a compassionate lady, generous and giving especially during the end stage of my grandmother’s cancer, when she relentlessly took care of her without a single word of complaint even though my grandmother frequently moaned and was uncomfortable because of the illness.
She lets me understand what tenacity is as well. She brought up four girls as a housewife, solving problems after problems that we created when she was alone with us at home. Being a mother really isn’t a simple feat , and due to our financial situation at that time, she insisted on managing the four of us herself and not getting a helper. And as I grew up, what my mom has demonstrated also grew in me and I would tell myself to hang on for just a little bit more when the going gets tough, and that I would eventually see the end of it.
Who is the biggest female influence in your music and why?
While when it comes to music, the first female artiste that I was really blown away by has to be Taylor Swift. I was a young teen in JC when I first heard her music.
I remember the days where I will sing to her every song, play them on my bus rides and even get inspired to want to play the guitar because of her. There was just something cool and different about her when I got to learn of her at that time. But as I grew up and understood more about her, it turned out to be just pure confidence. I feel that confidence is so important to a lady. Taylor Swift definitely has the confidence to do what she was doing—she evolves in her own ways, just because she wants to and is comfortable to do it. It is certainly not because she is compelled to satisfy certain opinions or perceptions that others have of her.
Being a woman, we surely face some amount of stereotypes and societal pressure to behave in a certain way. This is really quite a hard concept to grasp around for a young girl teen like me then, who was trying to grow up and become the kind of woman that I want to be. Those self-doubt and voices in your head occur from time to time when you are trying to give your best so I guess seeing a very confident lady just doing her thing was something very encouraging and inspiring to me then.
What’s the best advice you’ve received from these women (refer to your influences in questions 1 & 2)
I am always a ball of nerves before I perform during competitions and my mom’s favourite advice before I step on stage is ‘盡力就好 ‘ (just give your best). Although I didn’t really digest that because of my adrenaline rush during those times, now and then when I look back and get reminded of the advice, I just think that what my mom said is so true. Life really is just giving your best and being the best version of yourself because there is no one like you and you can’t be anyone else too, which means the best way out is to do your best.
I watched the Grammys because of Taylor Swift and I believe when she won the Album Of The Year, she gave one of the best speeches that would always be mentioned by people from time to time. I love what she said then even till today.
"I want to say to all the young women out there, there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame, but, if you just focus on the work and you don't let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you're going you'll look around and you will know that it was you and the people who love you who put you there. And that will be the greatest feeling in the world."
Yea. A lot of times, life has a lot of not-so-kind things you have to deal with. And a lot of times before you even know it, you are your own greatest enemy. So perhaps it’s always better to work on yourself and conquer your own fears and doubts before anything else.
Listen to Boon Hui Lu's latest song below.
Jon Chua
Who is the biggest female influence in your life and why?
It would be my mother. I guess most people would feel that way. All my values and principals as a person was influenced by her. She taught me honesty, integrity, generosity and empathy. And that keeps me going till today.
Who is the biggest female influence in your music and why?
It would be Sze Jia, she was formerly the Business Development Manager at Sony Music. She’s no longer in the music business, but she really believed in me. And the work that she did was inspiring and she played a big part in my music career. She was selfless.
What’s the best advice you’ve received from these women?
My mom is a woman of few words. Her best advice to me was mainly through her actions. She was a school teacher, and for over 20 years of her life, she would wake up at 4.45am just to get to work early just to gather her thoughts and be rational throughout the day. It helped her love her work, and through that she would be able to continue her passion towards helping her students. It inspired me to work my ass off to help the music industry.
Sze Jia went through a lot to see a vision come through. She once told me to never feel small about myself.
Listen to Jon Chua's song below.
David Loke
Who is the biggest female influence in your life and why?
My mother, my grandmother, and both my sisters. They're tremendous human beings who have showed me how important love and family ties are, and what truly matters at the end of the day.
Who is the biggest female influence in your music and why?
I'll have to list down three women. Sylvia Khoo- who was my first violin teacher, in always striving for excellence, Lynette Lim (my 2nd violin teacher), in learning how to craft musical phrases, and of course, the woman with the voice of an angel - Corrinne May. She taught me how to be sensitive, how to listen, how to write, how to support, and how best to pace myself to be as musically effective as possible.
What’s the best advice you’ve received from these women?
Corrinne: Less is more, keep writing, and keep listening.
Grandma, Mum and Sisters: Try and control your temper and be nice to people.
Watch David Loke's performance below.
