Okeechobee is an undeniable boon to the creative arts and entertainment community in South Florida, but this year's lineup suffers from a problem that plagues festival rosters all over the world: a limited number of female performers.
Of more than 100 participating acts on this year's roster, an anemic 18 feature a female performer. One of the select women who did make the cut is Lebanese New York transplant and techno DJ Mayssam. She takes a diplomatic stance, suggesting that the lack of representation at the fest is merely a symptom of a greater issue in the music community.
"I do think that women are underrepresented on some lineups, whether it's a big festival or a small one,” she says. “I also do think it's relative to the small number of women who pursue DJing as a career. There are more men DJs than women. It's always been a male-dominated industry, but in today's world, I think it's changing, and superrapidly.”
Indie underground DJ Vandana, also an Okeechobee performer, agrees that a root issue is the comparatively small proportion of women who enter the DJ world. “I don't think that the festival seeks male-dominated acts. I think that there are more [men] out there doing it." Still, she says, “there's really no sugarcoating how rampant and repetitive this issue is.”
"There are more men DJs than women. It's always been a male-dominated industry, but in today's world I think it's changing, and superrapidly,” Mayssam says.
Courtesy of Mayssam
“I've become so used to being surrounded by men in music that I hardly notice if I'm the only woman,” Lee admits.
"The gender disparity is exacerbated by stereotypes about women's technical capability,” adds Vandana, who's often asked who produced her music though she does it all herself. “People just assume that a woman has fewer technical capabilities than a man does.”
Pekarek, who'll headline the festival with her band the Lumineers, echoes Vandana's sentiments. Last month, she participated in a seminar in Denver called FEMpowered that included transgender, queer, and nonbinary individuals. There were lessons on setting up one's own PA, which she says still intimidates her years after her band's breakthrough success.
"Women shouldn't have to be relegated only to all-women events. Women can play with men as well,” Lady Blacktronica says.
Courtesy of Lady Blacktronica
Though all of the women interviewed agreed that the problem is not as bad as it used to be, it's clear there's still a long road ahead.
Recently, Pekarek overheard a conversation between two women at a coffee shop. “They were young ladies, probably fresh out college. One was saying, ‘I really don't want to get in a van with a bunch of dudes and tour, so I'm just going to do something else. It just broke my heart.... I joined that band when I was 22 years old, and if I were to join a new band, I would definitely not be the only girl in it. It would be a much easier life to have another female around.”
Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival
Thursday, March 2, through Sunday, March 5, at Sunshine Grove, 12517 NE 91st Ave., Okeechobee; 305-673-3330; okeechobeefest.com. Tickets are sold out.
