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All-women band BETTY gigs at Alcheringa

By Syed Miraz Ahmed |

The U.S. Consulate Kolkata brought the renowned all-woman, all-attitude, alternative pop music trio BETTY from New York City to perform in Guwahati for the first time at the opening night of the Alcheringa Festival (IIT Guwahati), considered one of the largest youth festival in northeast India.

Unstoppable activists, the women of BETTY use their music for humanitarian outreach: working for equal rights, peace, and the empowerment of girls and women. Prior to their performance today at Alcheringa the band interacted with press at the Guwahati Press Club. Deputy Director of the American Center in Kolkata, Rachel Sunden moderated the press conference.

While in Guwahati, BETTY also met with representatives from civil society, non-profit organizations, government officials and local youth leaders via a U.S. Consulate Kolkata outreach program in association with YI (Young Indians of CII).

With music bearing the message of peace and empowerment BETTY, has been harmonizing arts and activism for almost three decades. Since 2012, the trio has brought their unique blend of music and social issues by invitation to local communities across the world via U.S. Department of State programs. As U.S. Arts Envoy, BETTY’s music with a message seeks to spread equality, tolerance, and anti-bullying in an effort to fight gender-based violence and homophobia.

BETTY is on a four city India tour from January 29-February 9, 2014 with their first stop in northeastern India’s Shillong and Guwahati before they perform in Kolkata and Hyderabad.

BETTY’s musical performance, supported by the U.S. State Department viz a viz U.S. Consulate Kolkata, is an initiative to promote tolerance, equality and fight gender based violence through music while bettering U.S.-India relations through cultural exchanges.

American Center Kolkata Deputy Director Rachel Sunden commented “The reaction of the participants at the workshop and the audience at the show was phenomenal to watch. The band and audiences connected through their love of music. The music alone was great but what was even more exciting was to see how music serves as a bridge between cultures and how it can be used as a tool in the fight to end gender based violence and bullying.”

BETTYis a pop rock band fronted by Elizabeth Ziff, Alyson Palmer and Amy Ziff. The band’s unique sound is a blend of tight harmonies layered over rocking guitars and a solid rhythm section. Since 1986, BETTY has performed their memorable live show – full of exciting, hook-laden songs, clever word play and manic energy in clubs, theaters and public arenas all over the world. The band has toured in the U.S., Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, across Western Europe, Scandinavia and Argentina. Fierce Elizabeth (vocals, guitar), funky Alyson (vocals, bass) and funny Amy (vocals, cello) are the songwriters. BETTY’s last release “Rise” is a hit featuring the song the band wrote in 2013 for Eve Ensler’s global campaign to end violence against women and girls, One Billion Rising. Unstoppable activists, the women of BETTY use their music for humanitarian outreach: working for equal rights, peace & aid, and the empowerment of girls & women. Its powerful music and you can dance to it!

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