Veld, Osheaga promise good parties but few female DJs in rotation - Action News
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Veld, Osheaga promise good parties but few female DJs in rotation

Music festivals like Toronto's Veld and Montreal's Osheaga draw tens of thousands of revellers, but few female DJs are turning out to spin at the events.

Montreal DJ Misstress Barbara explains why there are so few women DJs on deck

Revellers at the Veld Music Festival in Toronto. The third edition of the festival kicks off this weekend, but there are few females in the lineup. (VELD Music Festival)

Music festival season is in high gear across the country, with tens of thousands of fans expected to turn out for the third annual VELD Music Festival in Toronto's Downsview Park.

While one can expect half of the crowdin front ofthe stage to be female,you're less likelyto see a women behind the turntables. In fact, save for the one female member of Nero, who is a vocalist, not a DJ, none of the19 acts on VELD's main stage are women. Even the one bigfemale artist on the second stage, Iggy Azalea, isa singer, not a DJ.

Thisweekend'sOsheaga Music Festival in Montrealhas a number of female pop stars on the lineup, but when it comes to spinning records, women aren't stepping up to the decks.

Canadian electronic dance music (EDM) pioneerMisstressBarbara, isspinning this weekend at the Divers/Cit Festival in Montreal.

In an interview with CBC Arts reporter Deana Sumanac, Misstress Barbara said more women are getting into the business, but not enough to make becoming a female DJ an easy choice:

Italian-born DJ Misstress Barbara has performed with Bjrk, The Prodigy, Tiesto, Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin and John Digweed. She says it's sad that more women aren't giving DJing a try. (Alexandre Frenois/Piknic Electronik)
"I wouldn't be honest if I didn't actually say that fear came through my mind...Maybe they're scared...and theyget discouraged,and that's because obviously there's a majority of men doing this type of career."

Pushing through the fear has rewarded MisstressBarbara with a fulfilling career featuring performances with artists likeBjrk, The Prodigy,Tiesto, Carl Cox, RichieHawtinand JohnDigweed.

Montreal's Osheaga Music Festival and Toronto's VELD Music Festivalrunthrough Aug. 3.

Watch the above video in which MisstressBarbaradescribes why DJing is so fulfilling.

Tune in toThe National on Sunday night for Deana Sumanac'sfull story.