I AM WOMAN

I

am

woman…

I

carry

the

voices

of

those

who

came

before

me.

I

carry

the

dreams

of

those

who

will

come

after

me.

I

am

the

memory.

I

am

the

struggle.

I

am

the

hope.

I

am

woman,

oppressed

since

the

beginning

of

time,

When

speaking

my

truth

was

called

a

crime.

Born

into

a

world

built

on

inequality,

A

world

that

denied

my

voice

and

dignity.

I

was

written

out

of

history’

s

pages,

My

strength

hidden

through

the

ages.

But

knowledge

of

my

power

shook

the

throne,

For

I

was

never

truly

alone.

I

AM

WOMAN,

hear

my

voice

arise,

I

carry

the

truth

that

never

dies.

Through

every

struggle,

through

every

storm,

I

rise

again,

I

am

reborn.

I

AM

WOMAN,

standing

strong,

My

ancestors

sing

within

my

song.

From

generation

to

generation,

We

rise,

we

rise,

we

rise.

I

am

Cleopatra,

I

am

Krotoa,

I

am

Sara

Baartman,

Queen

Sheba.

I

am

Motlalepule,

the

Rain

Queen’

s

rain,

The

women

who

carried

courage

through

pain.

I

am

Cissy

Gool,

Ray

Alexander,

Albertina

Sisulu,

Dorothy

Zihlangu.

I

am

Coline

Williams

and

the

countless

unnamed,

The

women

whose

struggles

must

be

proclaimed.

I

am

the

voices

of

billions

of

women,

Who

have

walked

this

earth

before

me.

I

AM

WOMAN,

hear

my

voice

arise,

I

carry

the

truth

that

never

dies.

Through

every

struggle,

through

every

storm,

I

rise

again,

I

am

reborn.

Lead:

I

fight

for

my

sisters…

Voices:

We

stand

together.

Voices:

We

stand

together.

Lead:

For

dignity,

freedom

and

justice…

Voices:

We

stand

together.

I

fight

for

the

rights

of

every

woman,

For

every

daughter,

every

mother,

every

sister.

For

the

value

of

our

labour,

seen

and

unseen,

For

the

world

we

build,

and

the

world

we

dream.

For

equal

opportunity,

For

freedom

to

speak

and

to

be.

For

the

right

to

live

with

dignity,

For

the

right

to

shape

our

destiny.

I

AM

WOMAN,

I

am

the

flame,

I

carry

the

stories,

I

carry

the

names.

The

struggle

continues,

the

journey

goes

on,

The

women

before

us

still

lead

us

strong.

I

AM

WOMAN…

I

AM

WOMAN…

We

are

women…

And

our

fight

for

justice

lives

on.

I

am

woman.

I

remember.

I

resist.

I

rise. (

Fade

out

with

layered

vocal

harmonies

and

driving

jazz-fusion

brass

hits)