Egypt’s first female metallers talk about some serious stuff...

Women in Egypt face many obstacles and social restraints, especially musicians and artists, who bravely risk criticism from the patriarchal society. As per the social norms Egypt is bound by, singing and performing before a crowd without restraints, is inhibited and frowned upon.
However, those chains are slowly loosening up, making it possible for young female Egyptians to pursue a career in music. And the one brave soul to do so is Sherine Amr, founder of Massive Scar Era (also called Mascara).
Mascara, created in 2005, is the first Egyptian female band, and despite breaking taboos, Amr faced much criticism and backlash in forming the band.
Amr recounted that it was her family that raised the first signs of resistance to her passion.
“My family, and mother especially, were against both metal music and the notion of me playing in a band. She was very critical of me jamming in the studio with boys for security reasons. She didn’t allow me to do it,” she said. “I was in an all girls Catholic school and mixing with boys wasn’t a familiar notion to my family. In fact, the very idea of forging an all female heavy metal band occurred to me when I was 19 and from then on began my search to recruit female musicians.”
The other reason there’s a backlash against female musicians in Egypt is because pop culture is deemed to be unsuitable for women.
“Since our pop scene sells female musicians as sex tools, our parents had this vague impression that the image of female singers is so blurred that it would be morally inappropriate for a conservative family,” she pointed
out. Metal music has always faced two dichotomies between those who love it and those who abhor it for various reasons. “This music genre has had a reputation for being called satanic. My family did not approve of it because they are very religious,” Amr said. “Basically, they didn’t like the mix, which is why I kept it a secret them for almost five years. It’s weird but I knew I had to do it.”
Women in Egypt still face much restrictions and unequal treatment in the social, political and economic arenas.
“I think having a female front is a problem here in Egypt. I, for some reason, think they still don’t want to accept the fact that we exist,” she added. Elaborating on the issues females face in Egypt, the young musician said, “I’ve always felt insecure living in this country. It’s mostly due to sexual harassment. So, the issue isn’t about what I do. Rather, it’s for who I am...I’m a female!”
So what issues does the band touch upon? “Our band supports women’s rights generally. On our last tour, we were collecting money for Harassment Map (an organization that is trying to create a mass awareness campaign about sexual harassment in Egypt),” Amr said. “Our newest release ‘My Ground’ talks about oppression and how badly the Muslim Brotherhood perceives women. All in all, our songs are outlets that allow us to vent our frustration and fight discrimination.”
The intense passion for singing emerged early on in Amr’s life, as she began singing at the young age of six years old. She used to sing mostly Arabic pop songs though. “When I was very young, I was into pop music (I’m still into it by the way). But the track changed when I discovered rock. Even that wasn’t enough. So I started listening to metal at 17 or 18. It then seemed to me that this is what I really want in my life,” she said.
Like all young aspiring musicians, she too had her favorite role models to look up to for inspiration. “I love Adam Dutkiewicz, guitarist of the American metal core band ‘Killswitch Engage’; he’s creative, funny and so energetic on stage,” she said. “I also admire Hayeley Williams, vocalist of the American pop rock band ‘Paramore’ as I believe she has an awesome voice, a unique personality and style albeit with morals which, I think, is a wonderful combination.”
Regarding the future of heavy metal five years down the line, she replied with a sad undertone, “I do not like where the genre is heading toward; I think it needs a new sound, not just mixing styles.”
“On a more optimistic note though,” she interjected, “Young girls are more tolerant of what we do. The best part is that even parents’ hard-line attitude is changing. Perhaps, it’s so because we play post hardcore music with oriental influences,” she concluded.

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