While preparing for this feature, I spoke with many women HipHop artists, and nearly all of them shared that HipHop music, in its various forms, has allowed them to express and be themselves. This particular music industry was once considered a male-dominated space, but today, women have also embraced it as a powerful medium to tell their stories and struggles.
It’s a universal need to seek expression, and when an art form facilitates this – especially in societies where women are often shunned or dismissed for voicing their opinions – HipHop becomes a powerful tool for sharing truths that might otherwise remain unsaid, but are desperately in need of being heard.
The Festival Day
If I had to pick one moment from the event day that will stay with me, it would be what I witnessed on stage. One artist was rapping, another DJing, the dancers were performing, and the camerapersons and videographers were moving behind them – all of them women. In that moment, I wondered: how often have I seen this in my life? Probably never. The main takeaway for me, as someone who enjoyed the festival, was this: Irrespective of our gender, if we’re encouraged, motivated, and if we feel safe to express ourselves, we all have the ability to take up space, both on and off the stage.
GOD is a Woman, Nepal’s only all-female hip-hop event, made this possible; not just for the artists, but for everyone who attended. The organisers ensured everyone felt visible and safe, thanks to their partnership with eco-friendly, ethical, and women-led organisations like Eco Sathi Nepal, Aama Surakshya, Saath and Danfe Works. They provided reusable menstrual cups in the restrooms and set up systems so that anyone feeling unsafe could approach a volunteer. Safety and comfort were thoughtfully planned, not just a byproduct of the event.
Supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Nepal and organised by Skathi Entertainment for the second time, this year’s event was a full-day festival at The Wonderland, Bungamati. WOW Magazine was its official partner.
The organisers gave me access to the green room, allowing me to meet the artists before and after their performances, capturing their real-time reactions. Artists had separate green rooms and changing areas, ensuring their privacy and safety. Throughout the day, I interacted with many artists. Each had their own way of preparing, with some excited and a little nervous, while others preferred to stay alone before going on stage. Regardless, all expressed how happy they were to perform at the event.
Smarika, who goes by stage name as Jhappu Don and Pratikshya shared how excited they were to perform on stage. I met them in the green room, and their excitement was palpable. Jhappu, who is from Baglung, said, “Though my journey hasn’t been easy, without my family’s support, it would have been even more difficult. Today, I am performing in Kathmandu in front of a crowd that loves rap music. I am excited.”
Pratikshya, who was standing beside her, added, “Performing in events like these help young women and girls realise that if they love doing something they can actually do it.”
After Jhappu and Pratikshya, I spoke with Pramila, who performs as Prans. She was thrilled to travel from Butwal to Kathmandu for the event and mentioned that many talented artists are still waiting to be discovered in Butwal. For her, events like this, exclusively for women, are a big boost. After her performance, Prans shared that her songs are drawn from personal experiences, touching on love, regret, loneliness, and the difficult emotions we often avoid discussing.
Next up was Ujjwala, and I was excited to see her perform. On stage, she spoke about her collaborations with other women artists, including Sarada Dangol and Sarita Pariyar who were performing with her on the stage. Her performance powerfully addressed issues affecting women in our society such as patriarchy, caste systems and discrimination. Ujjwala’s message resonated with anyone tired of the systems that oppress us. Offstage, she expressed her excitement seeing young women like Jhappu and Pratikshya claim their space and reaffirmed the idea from her song: “If we don’t like this world, we must create a new one.” She firmly believes that events like these are contributing to the struggle to build that new world.
Although Suski wasn’t feeling well that day, she still honoured the crowd’s request to repeat her song, Big Didi Energy. Afterward, she needed a moment to catch her breath. Raised in Hong Kong and having experienced racial discrimination, rap became Suski’s way of expressing herself. Initially, she didn’t like rap music because of its sexual content. However, after discovering artists like NAS, Fuzzy and Lauryn Hill, she realised rap could be a powerful medium for discussing meaningful issues. Now, after spending a year in Nepal, she’s using her music to reconnect with her roots and help younger generations understand their heritage. Suski also dreams of becoming an international artist representing South Asia on the global stage.
The last two performances were from Gigi, a guest artist from Switzerland, and Amazumi. Gigi commented that performing in Nepal felt freer than in Switzerland and expressed her excitement to return. Amazumi’s performance, accompanied by Sarada Dangol and Nasana electrified the stage. The energy from the audience was undeniable, and whether they were longtime rap fans or newcomers, everyone at the venue enjoyed the incredible music and performances that day.
Pre-Event Activities
While the main event was on October 26, there were a few events that happened before the main event. While the organisers had even invited me on their rehearsal days and on sound check, I couldn’t attend all of them. However, I did manage to attend couple of interesting pre-events.
Danfe Works Factory, UN Park
This was my first time meeting the artists and the team behind the scenes who were working hard to make the event a success. I arrived at Danfe Works’ head office at UN Park around 3 pm, hoping not to miss any action. When I arrived, everyone was busy trying on clothes, putting together outfits for the event. Some had found the right fit, others needed a little stitching, and some were still searching. A few videos were also being recorded. The space was chaotic but had its own rhythm, much like Hip-Hop itself.
I was informed by Amazumi who is a part of the organising team and a performing artist, that Danfe Works was the wardrobe partner. They were dressing all the artists in their ethical, eco-friendly clothing, which was kind to both skin and the environment. As I looked around, I noticed that many of the clothes featured symbols and patterns from Mithila art. Amazumi explained that Danfe Works is a social enterprise that works closely with women in the Janakpur community, supporting creative expression. She was thrilled to collaborate for the event.
While the team was busy with wardrobe preparations, I had the chance to speak with a few of the artists. One of them was Monika, a DJ who loves HipHop music. Although she works in a different genre, Hip-Hop holds a special place in her life. Since DJing is one of Hip-Hop’s key elements, Monika loves being part of the industry. She enjoys the beats and the lyrics, which often help artists express what they might otherwise struggle to say. Having performed last year and being a fan of Amazumi’s music, Monika was excited to perform again this year.
I was also thrilled to learn that Ujjwala, a name familiar to my generation from her Word Warriors days, would be performing. Ujjwala, an iconic poet and performer, shared, “I am a decade late to the scene, but right on time. I was initially skeptical about the rap industry because of its misogynistic nature, so I stayed away. However, after participating in an after-school programme in the U.S., my African American students helped me see that rap can be used to address social and political issues, or anything that matters to you in daily life. I’m forever grateful to them.”
Ujjwala also shared how, as a Newar woman, she was never able to write Newari poetry because her dialect was considered impure or inelegant by her community. Facing this hierarchy within her own culture, she found rap to be a medium where she could finally express herself in her native language. For the event, she was preparing a musical monologue with rap songs in Newari, Nepali, and English. I was excited to hear this new venture and to learn that, despite not having a music background, she confessed that if rapping was about using words and rhythm, it wasn’t too difficult for her.
Press Meet at Maya Manor Hotel
The press meet began with a briefing by Amazumi, who spoke about the importance of supporting events where women can come together to express, exchange, collaborate, and create bridges through HipHop music. She highlighted the scarcity of female Hip-Hop artists and the many who remain undiscovered, stressing the need to amplify their voices and stories through events like GIW.
The Swiss Ambassador also addressed the press, explaining the Embassy’s support for the festival. She emphasised that it was not just a musical gathering but a powerful platform promoting diversity and expression. She added that HipHop is more than music; it serves as a voice for the marginalised and a medium for social, political commentary, and dialogue. She also praised Nepal’s young women for carving out their space in the HipHop industry with creativity and resilience. The ambassador was pleased that the all-women festival would not only empower women but also provide a platform for female artists. She mentioned Swiss HipHop artist Gigi, who, along with her dance crew, had come from Switzerland to perform at the festival. The ambassador noted that Gigi’s presence highlighted the ongoing cultural exchange and collaboration between Nepali and Swiss artists.
A short documentary about the first GIW concert in Kathmandu was also shown. It captured the journey of the event and how all the artists came together for the cause of uplifting women by women. Each of the performers for this year’s festival introduced themselves as well.
After the press meet, there was time for interaction. I spoke with a few artists, starting with Ayesha, who was performing with the Steelies of Boudha, a Hip-Hop dance group. Ayesha explained that instead of using fists to fight, they use dance to show their resilience. She believes dance allows her to express herself and was looking forward to the performance.
Next, I spoke with Nasana, a student of ethnomusicology at Kathmandu University. Music has always been her first love, and coming from a Newar community, her teachers encouraged her to learn traditional Newari instruments like the Dhime and Nagada. For the event, she was collaborating with Amazumi. Although HipHop was a new genre for Nasana, she was excited by the opportunity to perform in a different musical style. She also felt well-supported by the Skathi Entertainment team. “I was nervous during my first performance, but now, performing for the second time with Amazumi, I feel much more confident,” she said.
Finally, I spoke with Gigi, guest performer from Switzerland. She shared that when invited, she couldn’t turn down the experience. Having only performed in Switzerland throughout her career, this would be her first time rapping in Swiss German in front of a Nepali audience. She was thrilled for the performance. When asked about her choice of genre, Gigi explained, “I have always been musical, and when I discovered HipHop, I fell in love. At first, I was hesitant because it’s not common for women in Switzerland to rap. But with encouragement from my friends, there’s been no looking back. I love that through my music, I can express things I can’t say in regular conversations.” She promised the audience a great show, and I left her with her two Swiss dancers, who had accompanied her for the festival.
People behind the Event
A week after the event, Skathi Entertainment had not yet had the chance to reflect on the experience with their team. However, I requested a meeting. Sumnima Setling, alias Amazumi, and Subash Rajopadhyay, known in the music world as Ktm Souljah, agreed to meet me and were punctual for our brief conversation. Both of them were clear about why they chose to organise an all-women HipHop event. Amazumi explained, “In most events or concerts, the male-to-female ratio is 5:1 or even less. To truly encourage women in HipHop, which is already a saturated industry, we need events like these.”
Skathi Entertainment was created to provide a platform and much-needed support for artists, with one of the priority areas being on promoting women in HipHop. As Ktm Souljah shared, “For GOD IS A WOMAN, we don’t see it as a one-time event. It’s a process where Skathi helps artists carve out their own niche in the industry.”
Regarding the workshops many artists had mentioned while talking to me, Amazumi explained that in their two-day workshops, they focus on helping artists improve their skills—everything from holding a mic and rapping to audience engagement and building momentum. These workshops help them track artists’ growth and evolution, which influences their decision on who performs at the festival.
This year, as the second edition of the all-women HipHop concert, comparisons between the first and second events were inevitable. Skathi Entertainment noted differences like moving from an indoor concert to a full-day festival. But the most notable shift was their commitment to creating a festival kind of vibe where people came to spend their whole day to enjoy music, food and other activities. They emphasised the importance of cultivating a culture of consent, creating a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone including women and queer and working toward greater accessibility, including being more disability-friendly in the future. I asked if implementing these changes was challenging, and they said while the concepts were new, the positive feedback encouraged them to continue with these initiatives at future events.
A key highlight for the team was their collaboration with several women-led, eco-friendly initiatives. These organisations had stalls near the stage, giving them a chance to witness the programme firsthand. Amazumi is hopeful that these partnerships could lead to artists being ambassadors for these products in the future.
When discussing the challenges of finding investment for such events, they shared that sponsors typically prefer artists who already have a large following. Amazumi remarked, “Sponsors aren’t willing to take a chance. If you don’t invest in up-and-coming artists, you’ll never know if it’ll pay off.” Ktm Souljah added, “We approach embassies for support because business sponsors aren’t ready to invest in women artists who haven’t yet found their footing.” This is why events like GIW are so crucial: they offer a platform for emerging women artists to establish themselves in the industry. Skathi’s long-term goal is to make the festival a sustainable, self-sufficient brand that doesn’t rely on external sponsorships and can be used as a launch pad for many young and upcoming women artists. Amazumi adds, “We are just two-year-old baby, we have a long way to grow and evolve.”
The team also believes that events like GIW provide women artists with valuable exposure, networking opportunities, and a chance to collaborate with others from different cultures which otherwise wouldn’t be easily available to women in HipHop. For Skathi Entertainment, GIW is more than just a fun outdoor event—it’s a much-needed initiative to support and empower emerging female artists in the Hip-Hop industry.
Meeting Amazumi
I witnessed Amazumi’s charisma firsthand this year when she performed at World Music Day for the first time. She has a unique aura and energy that can captivate anyone with her performance. So, when we finally sat down for this feature, even though I was meeting her in her role as a team member of Skathi Entertainment, I couldn’t resist asking her a few questions about her musical journey.
Amazumi shares, “I have always had an inclination towards storytelling and the performing arts, and I used to write poetry. So, I guess I can say that the aspect of performing in rap music was what really hooked me. I travelled around, ended up in Belgium, and started creating music, eventually earning a living through it.” Having left Nepal when she was only five years old, she wasn’t familiar with the musical tastes of Nepali people. However, when she discovered that she had built a following in Nepal and made connections through her music, she decided to return. It wasn’t until last year, while planning and organising the first GIW concert, that Amazumi decided to shift her base to Nepal. Since then, there’s been no looking back. She’s been actively involved with Skathi Entertainment, performing at multiple events.
In the coming years, Amazumi and her Skathi team plan to cultivate different aspects of the music industry, including educating artists about royalties—a crucial area she feels is lacking in Nepal’s music scene. And, of course, she plans to continue making music and touring, which will always remain her first love.
When asked for advice for upcoming women hip-hop artists, she says, “Tap into your own experiences and channel that into your music. Anyone can imitate another artist, but you can only reach your true potential if you stay true to your own stories and knowledge. The best tool to create your music is to use your own narrative. We are multilayered human beings—we don’t have just one identity, and we can’t be boxed into a single label. We all have different perspectives, and using that is how I create the music I produce and I encourage others to do the same.”
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