Female Performers & Arena
Our latest film, transmitting on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four tonight, Friday 18 March at 9pm, is the first feature-length profile of the country music legend Loretta Lynn. At the age of 83, Loretta is still going strong and would work every day if she could: she’s still got thousands of songs to sing and thousands of things she’d like to say to the world. Over the years, Arena has profiled several female musicians, so what better way to celebrate the transmission of Arena: Loretta Lynn – Still a Mountain Girl than to take a look at five clips of female performers from our archive (we’ll leave the ranking to you).
POLY STYRENE
First up, the wonderful and brilliant Poly Styrene (d.2011) – a true punk rock icon. Plastic fantastic, disposable and satirical, Poly talks us through some of the things that make her tick. Including adverts, science and bird song. From: Arena: Who Is Poly Styrene?, directed by Ted Clisby and first broadcast on 22 January 1979.
LENE LOVICH
“It doesn’t mean I don’t like to scream though, because I do” – the American singer Lene Lovich performs ‘Lucky Number’ and explains that she doesn’t care if people stare and laugh at her. With stage presence like that, why would you? The clip is from Arena: Sleeping Beauty, directed by Nigel Finch and first broadcast on 21 January 1980.
CELIA CRUZ
And now, a true professional who always had the audience in the palm of her hand – watch the masterful Cuban singer Celia Cruz (d.2003) light up the stage in Arena’s film My Name is Celia Cruz, directed by current series editor Anthony Wall and first broadcast on 12 February 1988.
BRENDA FASSIE
For any South African, Brenda Fassie (d.2004) needs no introduction. Here she performs one of her biggest hits, ‘Weekend Special’, and when she asks the audience to sing “Brenda, we love you”, they sing the words back loud and clear. Although she was often called the ‘Madonna’ of the Townships she was a powerful and fiercely political performer in her own right. From Arena: Brenda Fassie, directed by Chris Austin and first broadcast on 18 April 1993.
TAMMY WYNETTE
And, by way of a finale, an intimate performance Loretta’s fellow country music legend: Tammy Wynette (d.1998). Tammy and Loretta performed together many times and their music shares the brutally honest, straight talking style that is characteristic of country at its best. This clip is from Arena: Stand By Your Dream, a profile of Tammy Wynette directed by Rosemary Bowen Jones and first broadcast on 16 January 1987.