SHILLONG: Alyson Palmer and sister duo Elizabeth and Amy Ziff, of the band BETTY, brought their powerful and inspirational music to the city through a small, intimate gathering at Shillong Club on Thursday evening.
BETTY is a pop-rock band whose exciting sound has a distinct socio-political edge and the band uses its music and lyrics as part of an effort to encourage change and respect for human rights – whether based on gender, racial or sexual orientation.
The group is on an India tour that has already taken them to Guwahati and will see them travel to Kolkata and Hyderabad as well. Apart from Thursday’s performance, which was organised through the US Consulate in Kolkata and local NGO Amatsara, they will also hold a workshop on Friday before departing the city.
BETTY’s performance on Thursday was book-ended by songs sung by Shillong musicians, which the American trio appreciated.
“Shillong has a reputation that extends well beyond these hills,” Palmer said after the opening act. “It’s an honour and an inspiration to hear these performances.”
The band’s India tour does focus on gender-based violence and Palmer, before the band began, said, “We cannot be silent anymore. We are the change we’ve been waiting for. The people of India have been rising up and that’s one of the reasons we wanted to come here.”
BETTY, who has been together since 1986, wrote the theme song to the One Billion Rising campaign calling for an end to violence against women, which began in 2013, and they also then went on to perform a variety of numbers for the Shillong crowd, including It Girl, Hercules and Everybody is a Somebody. Later, interacting with the media, the band mates gave a deeper insight into the purpose behind their music.
Elizabeth Ziff explained that while the trio has always been politically aware, they also sing on a variety of topics. “What we want, though, is equality all the way around. Unless everyone is free, no one is,” she said, a point that could be heard in It Girl.
“A lot of the time women are treated as no better than livestock,” Palmer added. “We applaud India’s move forward and we’re here to help that.”
Violence against women is also not just an India phenomenon, with Amy Ziff adding, “Gender violence happens all over the world, even America.”
Speaking of the changes seen since 2013’s One Billion Rising campaign, the band noted that awareness is growing and more people are getting involved. The discussion of the problem amongst the public is also a huge change.
The band was also asked about their thoughts on the Indian Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a Delhi High Court ruling to decriminalise consensual gay sex.
Palmer focused on a positive, saying that the Supreme Court left it to parliament to take the initiative, rather than ban it of its own accord, which leaves a window open for politicians to end the discrimination.
Elizabeth even said that she “never thought gay marriage would become so widely accepted so soon” as it has been in several countries, while Palmer added that the vocal opposition to gay rights is the “last gasp of an older generation.”
