By K.D. Norris
The Electric Forest music festival, taking place in late June in nearby Rothbury, is known for its cutting-edge musical explorations and its social relevancy. The festival’s “Her Forest” program — a celebration of modern feminist moods and music — continues that tradition.
This year, the festival — set to run June 22-25 and, expanding this year to two weekends, June 29-July 2 — will expand its Her Forest program with a curated new-music event.
“It’s inspiring to be expanding Electric Forest’s Her Forest program,” Electric Forest’s Alicia Karlin said in supplied material. “It allows us to host an even more diverse and unique lineup of performers at the festival. It’s important to us that Electric Forest continues to offer opportunities for new and distinct talent to share their art.”
Usually long sold-out this close to the festival, general admission tickets are still available for the new-this-year second weekend of the festival.
Performers for the debut of Her Forest curated music event, to be offered on the first week of the festival, were selected from “hundreds of fan submissions auditioning to be part of this unique celebration of women and all they offer to art,” according to supplied material
The winners, and set to perform, are solo DJ/ producer and violinist Alfiya Glow, Indian dance duo The Dance of Anarkali, the California-based duo Heartwurkz, female DJ M.O.B., dance and soundscape artist Frankie Taminal, and singer/piano/looping music player Melody Monroe.
A quick glance at one of the performers:
Alfiya Glow was born in Sochi, Russia, according to her website, and began her violin studies at the age of five and, after just seven months, had her first performance as a solo violinist with the Sochi Symphony Orchestra. In 2009, Alfiya was accepted into Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance in Philadelphia, and received a full scholarship. She has performed at Lincoln Center in New York City, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, among others. Working in studio with artists such as R. Kelly, Lana Del Rey, and Boyz II Men, encouraged an already strong interest and passion for the musical genres of pop, hip-hop, and EDM, according to her website bio.
Also performing the inaugural Her Forest music event are Lynx & The Servants of Song and Monarch Rachel & Their Royal Court Drag Show.
“Like all of The Forest’s participation opportunities — we call them “Plug-In” programs — this collaboration invites the community to participate in shaping the EF experience,” Karlin said.
The Her Forest program includes a women’s group camp, artist panel, a meet-and-greet with Electric Forest Production Women. Her Forest Circles and Meet-ups also return this year.
The foundation of Electric Forest’s Her Forest initiative is, according to supplied material, based on three pillars: connection, inspiration and comfort.
“Our first goal was to start a dialogue … We knew the Forest Family could guide us in what this program should and could become,” Electric Forest’s Jeremy Stein said in supplied material. “It’s been an amazing collaborative process, and it’s still very much alive and evolving.”
For more information and tickets visit ElectricForestFestival.com .
