Glasgow women celebrated in new song Glittery Bums

The fourth single from the debut album from award-winning music collective the Ensemble has been released – and celebrates the confidence of the women of Glasgow.

Glasgow women celebrated in new song Glittery Bums

Alhan, Christianah, Sara (not a Sista), Djana Gabrielle (musician) (this picture was taken before the pandemic)

Glittery Bums is the latest release from the project, which sees young people team up with professional musicians to write and record original music.

The pop anthem is “an ode to the women of Glasgow” by‘ The Sistas’ who co-wrote the song with professional musicians Clare McBrien and Donna Maciocia. The track was produced and mixed by Jonnie Common.

It is already a firm favourite within the Ensemble community.

The Sistas are Alhan Elhan, Asma Kassim, Christianah Adejuyigbe, Fatma Mohamed, Nuha Thalib, Shobhita Edampurath and Mawaddah. They wrote the song when they were new to Glasgow and were inspired by the women they saw in the city in the summer, wearing short shorts.

Fatma said: We were on the bus, me and Asma. There was a festival happening at Glasgow Green and we saw a lot of ladies wearing really short shorts with glitter on their bums and we were surprised because we were not used to seeing a lot of that. It was the glitter that caught our eyes.

Glasgow women celebrated in new song Glittery Bums

“And then we were sitting in one of Ensemble’s rooms and we were struggling with what to write. So Donna asked us, “What have you seen this week?” and we said, “The glittery bums! We’ve seen them everywhere this week.” We didn’t know then that the song would go out there so much.”

Shobita added: “I remember how that thought spurred on the free flow of bum centred ideas and puns relating to the rear end. Humour and silliness were at the heart of a tribute to the city that had become home.

“Add in some cool beats and lo and behold, you have the perfect summer banger about friendship, sun and the spirit of Glasgow women.”

The accompanying music video features a heart-warming, celebratory and uplifting compilation of self-shot footage of The Sistas, the wider Ensemble community and friends dancing and having fun.

Ensemble have attracted regular airplay from BBC Radio Scotland’s Roddy Hart.

Ensemble is run by Wheatley Care, part of Wheatley Group. It is funded by the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative (YMI).

It sees young people, many with experience of homelessness and mental health issues, team up with professional musicians to write and record original music about their experiences.

The full song can be found here: 

The first album, No Place Like It is themed around home and community, and was recorded in Chem 19 Studios, in Blantyre, with the young people following in the footsteps of legendary Scottish musicians Calvin Harris, Franz Ferdinand and Deacon Blue who have also recorded in the same studio.

Wheatley Care’s Ensemble co-ordinator Donna Maciocia said: “Glittery Bums is a joyous Summer pop anthem featuring a group of young women.

“The song is already one of our favourite ways to close a gig and we are excited to share it with more people as a single release.

“Ensemble shows us time and again how powerful music is in changing someone’s mood and their life. Great things happen when people come together to collaborate, get their voice heard and most importantly have fun.”

You can listen to the song and buy it here.

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