From the women who paved the way — to the stage I stand on today.
How can a single piece of technology help to transform the course of women’s history in music?
This semester at The University of Western Australia (UWA), I explored that question through my project Vinyl Orbit— a visual and conceptual study of how the vinyl record (LP) revolutionised not only the music industry but also the visibility and agency of women within it.
The project frames the LP as both a technological innovation and an agent of empowerment, amplifying the voices of pioneering women from marginalised cultures — African American blues and jazz singers, and Portuguese-speaking artists from Brazil.
By recording their songs on vinyl, these women transcended social, economic, and geographic boundaries. Their music travelled globally, challenging prejudice and reshaping cultural narratives.
The collage artwork features twelve iconic artists, orbiting a vinyl record reimagined as a world map:
Carmen Miranda, Nina Simone, Elis Regina, Sarah Vaughan, Rita Lee, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Rosa Passos, Ella Fitzgerald, Ma Rainey, Leny Andrade, and Astrud Gilberto.
Each represents a “track” in this conceptual long play — a constellation of female voices whose recordings continue to inspire new generations of women in music, including myself.
It is a profound honour to perform this Saturday, 25 October, at 2025 Perth International Jazz Festival (at the Ellington’s stage) celebrating the legacy of these extraordinary women whose voices continue to resonate across time and space.
Song: Inocencia by Chris Naughton/ Juliana Areias, from Juliana Areias – Bossa Nova Baby album, featuring Juliana Areias (voice) and Graham Wood (piano).
Graham Wood, the founder of both The Perth International Jazz Festival and The Ellington Jazz Club.
Thank you all for paving the way.
#VinylOrbit #WomenInMusic #UWA #PerthJazzFestival #Jazz #Blues #BrazilianMusic #Vinyl #Empowerment #ArtAndResearch #CulturalExchange #MusicHistory #FemaleVoices #sisterhood
Juliana Areias - The Bossa Nova Baby 