Sisters Keepers were initially a subset of the band

Brothers Keepers Brothers Keepers is a German-based transnational anti-racism project, bringing together hip hop, reggae and soul musicians, headed primarily by Afro-Germans. Their debut single, "Adriano-Letzte Warnung", was written in response to the murder o ...

, formed in the autumn of 2001 in

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, joined a compilation album ''Lightkultur'' (WEA) by the Brothers Keepers. Appealing against

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

, famous female and mainly

Afro-German Afro-Germans () or Black Germans () are German Citizens of Sub-Saharan African descent. Cities such as Hamburg and Frankfurt, which were formerly centres of occupation forces following World War II and more recent immigration, have substantial ...

singers joined with

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

Soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...

and

Hip-Hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

background.

Initial members

Among others for the members of the original Sisters Keepers were

Nadja Benaissa Nadja Benaissa (born 26 April 1982) is a German singer and television personality. She rose to fame in late 2000 when she auditioned for Popstars (German TV series), the German adaption of the reality television show ''Popstars (Germany), Popsta ...

Ayọ Joy Olasunmibo Ogunmakin (born 14 September 1980), known professionally as Ayọ , is a German singer, songwriter and actress. She uses the Yoruba language, Yoruba translation Ayọ or Ayo. of her first name ''Joy''. Her debut album ''Joyful (Ay ...

, Kaye, Nicole Hadfield (), and Tamika, along with Tesiree, Lisa, Mamadee, Pat and Meli (Skills en Masse, Ischen Impossible) with Onejiru (Pielina Schindler). "Liebe Und Verstand" was their largest hit on chart in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

between December 2001 to February 2002, as many African artists joined to form a musical statement. With two songs, both released on the album ''Lightkultur'' by Brothers Keepers (WEA), they took a stand against racism and violence.

"Sisters eV" against racism and violence

Actually, the members held positions among loose circle of network of female singers, or sisters. Starting in 2004, the "Sisters eV" functioned with emphasis on activities for gender equality as well as protest against violence and racism, and environmental issues that Onejiru and Mamadee took the initiative. Among the list of female singers they worked with, Ngosi Madubuko and Angela Ordu are from Siberian music, who were two of the supporters close to the group. In 2005, Sisters Keepers was renamed to "Sisters", and acted independent from Brothers Keepers there on. The Sisters started with Onejiru, Mamadee, Meli, Namusoke, Tamika and Nicole Hadfield (Groove Guerilla) and Lisa Cash coming in and out, and they represented

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

at the

Bundesvision Song Contest 2008 The Bundesvision Song Contest 2008 was the fourth edition of the annual Bundesvision Song Contest musical event. The contest was held on 14 February 2008 at the TUI Arena in Hanover, Lower Saxony, following Oomph! feat. Marta Jandová's win in the ...

to claim he fourteenth place with "Unite". In September 2008, they toured Germany, produced by (Turtle Bay Country Club.) The same year, the first album ''Gender Riot'' was released.

Role models for girls and women

Since 2010, Onejiru, Meli and Nicole Hadfield have been the core of the group with Mamadee, Tamika and Namusoke extending the act, and altogether they were black German female singers involved and supporting social and educational causes at schools. With

Plan A plan is typically any diagram or list of steps with details of timing and resources, used to achieve an Goal, objective to do something. It is commonly understood as a modal logic, temporal set (mathematics), set of intended actions through wh ...

to empower girls and young women, Sisters participated in the "

Because I am a Girl Because I Am a Girl is an international movement by the aid organization Plan (aid organisation), Plan. The campaign is made to address the issue of sexism, gender discrimination around the world."Discrimination against girls 'still deeply entrenc ...

". project, and have been the ambassadors for the campaign since 2010. It was extended in the summer of 2011, when they toured

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Togo Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and Burkina Faso to Burkina Faso–Togo border, the north. It is one of the le ...

, as well as cities in Germany for "Girls go for Goals". They celebrated the first inaugural

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

International Day of the Girl with

Plan International Plan International is a development and humanitarian organisation based in the United Kingdom that works in over 80 countries across Africa, the Americas, and Asia, focusing on children’s rights. In 2024, Plan International reached 43 million ...

on October 11, 2012, when Onejiru, Melanie Wharton and Nicole Hadfield performed in New York City singing the song "Because I am a Girl". realizing UN World Girls Day is a campaign to have equal rights for girls and boys. During their visit to NYC, the Sisters performed at the B. B. King Blues Club in NY.

Brothers Keepers and Sisters Keepers

It is evident that there is an absence of female musicians in most music videos by the Sisters' brother band, Brothers Keepers. Many saw this as an absence from Afro-German ''volk'' envisioned by the Brothers and as drawing attention to the constitutive female outside of this mode of racial unity. The Brothers success and overbearing presence in music videos authorizes this female version of Afro-Germaness, forcefully visually transforming to hegemonic codes of femininity. Within it, there is a strong desire to envisage collectivity beyond peoplehood and the simultaneous failure to do so in Afro-German pop music and diaspora discourse underlines the nagging pervasiveness of this category and pressing need for alternatives.

Discography

* 2001 Single "Liebe und Verstand" * 2001 "Sister" (included in the album ''Lightkultur'' by BK, WEA) * 2008 Single and Album ''Gender Riots'' * "Because I am a Girl" by Sisters for Plan International Campaign "Because I am a girl" (www.biaag.de)

References