Reggae artiste Ikaya is urging event promoters to include more female artistes on their shows.

The Hard Way singer made the plea in an interview with THE STA post-performance at the recently concluded 25th staging of Rebel Salute.

It was her second performance at the show and she was one of few females who took the stage.

She expressed sincere gratitude to the organizers for allowing her the opportunity to share her music on such a global platform but called for a balance in terms of male-to-female ratio on stage.

“It is a blessing to be among the few and I’m honored I got that chance to showcase my talent and connect with my fans. So big up Rebel Salute for that,” she said. “But there are a lot of talented females out there that don’t get the opportunity often enough to show what they are capable of. A lot of us are making good music and I don’t think we lack talent; we just want a good, supportive system behind us.”

Ikaya added that her plea doesn’t just go for stage shows as there also needs to be a bit more balance in terms of the number of females getting airplay on radio and the number of females getting the chance to voice on certain rhythms.

“If you look at the rhythms, there are no females, bare man, and I know there are a whole lot of females out there doing their thing and would love that chance,” she expressed. “I just want more support all across the board, from rhythms, to shows, to promotions, to playing the music on radio. We have to start balancing out di thing because we’re doing our thing, too.”

The entertainer vowed that for 2018, her fans will be hearing much more from her as she looks to take her career to the next level.

“I know it might seem like I’ve been distant, but I’ve been working and doing shows overseas mostly, so it never stops for Ikaya,” she said. “Right now, I’m doing the Bigga School Tour and the NCDA (National Council on Drug Abuse) campaign, pointing out the dangers of smoking, so I’ve been working in corporate, too.”

She insists that she has putting out good music, but it always comes down to the support behind the music “especially when you’re not putting out raunchy stuff.”

Ikaya said she because she is mostly on the positive side, it is kinda hard (to get the support) “but I’m going to be me, stay true to myself because it’s all about timing.”

“The greatest thing is when I get on that stage and people can tell me that I inspired and motivated them. That gives me an extra push and motivates me to continue doing what I’m doing,” she said.