Shakatak Star Releases New Solo Single for International Women’s Day

Renowned vocalist and percussionist, Jill Saward has announced that she has been working on a special project over the past few months, recording a new solo single to celebrate the beauty of maturity. The release is scheduled to coincide with International Women’s Day 2020, with Saward dedicating the single to all women who are struggling with the realities of getting older.

The new single, Women Like You, delves into a new chapter of womanhood, beyond the years of work and children. Often referred to as ‘the vacant years’, Saward hopes to take women on a musical journey of discovery, portraying these years not as vacant, but as a chance to embark upon a personal re-building project. Saward hopes that, through the single, she can do her part to facilitate the adoption of a new image of female maturity.

Saward is certainly no stranger to female empowerment, having shot to fame in 1980 as part of jazz-funk band Shakatak alongside Bill Sharpe, Roger Odell, and George Anderson. As the only female band member, Saward has long been an icon of ‘girl power’ and a true supporter of women’s liberation. The single has been created to let women know that they’re not alone as they experience the challenges and life changing events that are part of the natural ageing process. Saward believes that getting older is not a time to worry about ageing, but to celebrate and embrace this new golden chapter.

“I am very honoured to have a loyal fan base thanks to the success of Shakatak, and I’ve had the privilege of speaking to many women over the past few years,” says Saward. “While I’ve always embraced maturity, I’ve heard from women who have experienced sadness over the natural changes that take place as we get older, especially as society and the media tend to take a rather sorry view of what I believe should be a glorious journey.

“Women Like You is dedicated to all those women, and I hope this single highlights a different side to getting older and helps all women to embrace the new opportunities and adventures that arise during our golden years”.

Much of the work on Women Like You has been undertaken by Saward herself, with the help of Simon Brown on piano and her good friend Kathy who provides backing vocals. Despite her success as part of a band, Jill took a year out of her career to focus on writing her own material and developing her skills, and produced her first solo album, titled ‘Just For You’, in 1999.

Women Like You is due for digital release on 8th March 2020, to coincide with International Women’s Day. The theme for 2020 is #EachForEqual, celebrating women’s achievements, raising awareness of bias, and taking action for equality. International Women’s Day was first held in 1911, and has become an important annual event for promoting gender equality around the world.

Listen to Jill Saward’s Women Like You here: https://youtu.be/sVOpY4zRGNc