After the train invites Melahuset to a celebration of International Women's Day with appeals and musical performances.

Doors open at 6 pm
The program starts at 7 p.m.
Free admission!

Melahuset marks International Women's Day by highlighting topics such as women's rights, oppression and intersectionality in a nuanced perspective. This year you can look forward to concerts with Sanyu, amaida. and Easy Chief, there will be dancing with Hediyeh Azma, in addition to appeals by Sofia Rana, Dr. Azza Hassan Mohamed Ahmed, Rania Iraki, Rozerin Algunerhan and Anne Berit Sødal.

Tonight's host is Lina Alvarez Reyes.

On stage:

amaida.
amaida. is an Oslo-based Cameroonian-Norwegian artist, with a musical expression that soulfully balances between the raw and the vulnerable. Through her music, she creates a sanctuary for overthinking and highly sensitive souls, offering a safe space to feel, reflect and heal. With the help of heartfelt melodies and lyrics, she thematizes the complexity of being human, inviting listeners to embrace their emotions and vulnerability and use music to find comfort and unity.

Her debut single "The Dark Side of the Moon" was described by Pulsmagasinet as "a debut that smells like stardust", and was recommended on NRK P3 Urørt. In September she played on All Hail the Queen on Melahuset , in October she had her first solo concert at Kulturhuset in Oslo, in November she played at Vill Vill Vest and we are incredibly happy to have her back on stage here at Melahuset on the occasion of Women's Day itself.

Sanyu
In recent years, Sanyu has played at festivals such as Øya, Vill Vill Vest, Trondheim Calling and at jazz festivals in both Oslo and Copenhagen. With a background in old school r&b and improvisation, her live performances are characterized by soulful expressions and warm harmonies that play with rap and groove-based riffs. Her debut EP Now You Hear it is described as a 14-minute journey through realizations and navel-gazing discomfort, and not least a "testament to true artistry and dedication to the craft."

Joining her on stage this evening is some of the most promising musicians on the jazz and electronic music scene: Rino Sivathas on drums, multi-instrumentalist Kristina Fransson and Joachim Mørch Meyer on double bass.

Easy Chief
Zino is a Kurdish-Norwegian singer who combines the sounds of R&B, soul and funk with her Kurdish roots. Together with her band, Easy Chief, she creates a funky and rhythmic soundscape and a fierce live show that takes the audience straight to New Orleans.

Easy Chief entered the studio for the first time in 2021, recording a mix of their own songs and old New Orleans funk hits. Their gospel/soul-inspired song "Selina" from 2023 has become a crowd favorite and contributes to both mood and reflection.

The band has played fantastic concerts at both Parkteatret, Sentralen and Cosmopolite and we are looking forward to them contributing to the great atmosphere at Melahuset's 8th of March celebration.

Hediyeh Azma
Hediyeh Azma is an Iranian dancer, choreographer and educator living and working in Norway. She has more than 25 years of experience as a dancer in classical Iranian dance and folk dance. She works to preserve this art form by staging short performances at cultural events and by reinterpreting and including them in contemporary choreographic projects.

Hediyeh has received awards for Best Choreographer and Best Folk Dancer, and in 2019 she helped found the Iranian classical dance music ensemble Tan-Nava in Norway. In 2024 she established the first Iranian children's dance ensemble, where she both teaches and creates choreography for children.

Appellants: 

Sofia Rana is a city council representative for Rødt in Oslo, advisor on right-wing extremism at the Anti-Racist Center and a long-time anti-fascist activist.

Dr. Azza Hassan Mohamed Ahmed is an associate professor at Oslo Met, specializing in communication networks and AI-driven systems. She is passionate about education, mentorship, and creating spaces for women in science and technology. Drawing on her personal experiences across cultures, she contributes reflective and insightful perspectives on women's empowerment and evolving role in Sudanese society.

Rozerin Algunerhan is a board member of the Kurdish Democratic Society Center. She has been active in the Kurdish community since she was 14, and has been committed to women's liberation, democracy and peace work related to the Kurdish cause. This year she sits on the working committee of the March 8th Committee in Oslo.

Rania Iraki Rania Iraki is educated in film and television and co-host of the Palestinapodden.

Anne Berit Sødal is a social scientist and administrative manager at MiRA Resource Center for Women with Minority Backgrounds. She has many years of experience with intersectional equality and integration work and works daily to highlight the complex situation of young girls and women with minority backgrounds.

Speaker Lina Álvarez Reyes has 20 years of experience from solidarity and feminist movements in Norway. She works in the Latin American groups in Norway and sits on the board of Mela. Álvarez Reyes has a boundless view of culture, global justice and international solidarity, and we look forward to her leading us through the evening.