Shirley Bethune
(Mothers of Creation, Beat Productions)

The Time has Come

Shirley Bethune aka Beth Shani, local poet, singer songwriter and founder of Mothers of Creation, an organisation created to support the aspirations of women, actively promotes reggae music and cultural diversity within Birmingham.

Awarded a Collide commission for the production of 'The Time Has Come' in 2002, Shani has since created 4 new original tracks. She is also actively involved with Sisters Unite, a regular and ever evolving event celebrating the cultures of women from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds which includes Chinese dancers, Asian and Somalian poets, and gospel singers.

Shani has had tracks demo'd by some well known artists including Tom Jones and Ziggy Marley, and spans an eclectic range of genres including rock, RnB and gospel. Her main influences are music greats Tina Turner, Bob Marley, and she is also a lover of Spanish acoustic guitar music.