Meg Christian
Encyclopedia
Meg Christian is an American folk singer
associated with the Women's music
movement.
and moved to Washington, D.C.
in 1969, where she performed in nightclubs and began writing material from an explicitly political and feminist perspective. For a time in the 1970s, Christian, who is openly
lesbian
, embraced women's separatism and sometimes played at women-only venues. She was a founding member of Olivia Records
, whose first album was her debut. She ceased giving live performances in 1984, and began studying Eastern mysticism; the result of these explorations were the albums The Fire of My Love and Songs of Ecstasy. She changed her first name to Shambhavi during this time and lived in an ashram
in New York
.
In 2002, Christian restarted her association with Olivia Records, and began performing again for label events; her first appearance since 1984 was on a cruise ship
arranged by Olivia.
Folk Singer
Folk Singer is a 1964 album by Muddy Waters. Waters plays acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar...
associated with the Women's music
Women's music
Women's music is the music by women, for women, and about women . The genre emerged as a musical expression of the second-wave feminist movement as well as the labor, civil rights, and peace movements...
movement.
Biography
She graduated from the University of North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
and moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1969, where she performed in nightclubs and began writing material from an explicitly political and feminist perspective. For a time in the 1970s, Christian, who is openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, embraced women's separatism and sometimes played at women-only venues. She was a founding member of Olivia Records
Olivia Records
Olivia Records was a collective founded in 1973 to record and market women's music. Olivia, named after the heroine of a pulp novel by Dorothy Bussy who fell in love with her headmistress at French boarding school, was the brainchild of ten lesbian-feminists living in Washington, DC who wanted to...
, whose first album was her debut. She ceased giving live performances in 1984, and began studying Eastern mysticism; the result of these explorations were the albums The Fire of My Love and Songs of Ecstasy. She changed her first name to Shambhavi during this time and lived in an ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
In 2002, Christian restarted her association with Olivia Records, and began performing again for label events; her first appearance since 1984 was on a cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
arranged by Olivia.
Discography
- I Know You Know (Olivia RecordsOlivia RecordsOlivia Records was a collective founded in 1973 to record and market women's music. Olivia, named after the heroine of a pulp novel by Dorothy Bussy who fell in love with her headmistress at French boarding school, was the brainchild of ten lesbian-feminists living in Washington, DC who wanted to...
, 1974) - Face the Music (Olivia, 1977)
- Turning it Over (Olivia, 1981)
- Meg & Cris at Carnegie Hall (live with Cris WilliamsonCris WilliamsonCris Williamson is an American feminist singer-songwriter, who achieved fame as a recording artist, and who was a pioneer as a visible lesbian political activist, during a time when few who were not connected to the Lesbian community were aware of Gay and Lesbian issues...
, Olivia, 1983) - From the Heart (Olivia, 1984)
- Scrapbook (Olivia)
- The Fire of My Love (Syda Records, 1986)
- The Best of Meg Christian (Olivia, 1990)
- Songs of Ecstasy (Syda, 1995)