Medusa headlines women's benefit

By Zenaida Serrano
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hip-hop artist Medusa returns to Honolulu for a concert fund-raiser for GiRL FeST Hawaii. Bianca Mills MC2: Medusa Returns 7 p.m.-midnight Saturday Studio 1 $12 general; $10 in advance; $7 students with valid ID 599-3931 Also: Reception after the event, midnight-4 a.m. Sunday, Quiet Storm, 39 N. Hotel St.; for 21 and older; $7

The concert is a fund-raiser for GiRL FeST Hawaii, an annual multimedia festival created by the nonprofit agency The Safe Zone Foundation. The next festival will be Sept. 3-11.

"This is a grass-roots, progressive, preventative effort to end violence against women and girls through education and art," said Kathryn Xian, who refers to herself as the "nonexecutive director" of GiRL FeST.

Medusa — last here in December — is also an urban dancer, spoken word poet, model and singer who has shared the stage with artists including KRS-One, Erykah Badu and Me'Shell NdegÚOcello.

Along with her Feline Science crew, Medusa caps off a lineup that includes film showings co-presented by the Hawaii International Film Festival, the 2004 HawaiiSlam Team, master of ceremonies Hawaiian Ryan, resident DJ DMuthaFUNK'inD and art by Nicky Munoz.

Organizers will also give event-goers information about Act 82, the illegalization of sex tourism, which was passed May 19, 2004. The legislation was drafted in response to a campaign by GiRL FeST and New York-based global advocacy group Equality Now.

"We hold these events to inform the community of what we do and what we have done, and to raise money and awareness," Xian said.

Reach Zenaida Serrano at zserrano@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8174.

Schedule of events

• 7:30 p.m. film screenings, co-presented by the Hawaii International Film Festival: "Ode to Margaret Cho," "American Seoul," "Shiina Ringo — Ringo No Uta," "Puffy Amiyumi — Sunrise," "Silent Years," "Perfection," "Citizens Here and Abroad i Appearances" and "9:30."
• 8:30-8:45 p.m. spoken word: The official 2004 HawaiiSlam Team
• 8:45-9:45 p.m. music: The X-Factor, with the Rebel Girl, DJ Primmitiv and Selah Geissler, who recently won the Nuyorican Poetry Slam in New York City
• 9:45 p.m. dance: a women's dance collective
• 10 p.m. concert: Medusa and Feline Science