Sing poetry out loud
Internationally acclaimed artist comes to MCLA
By Jenn Smith, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Thursday, March 04
NORTH ADAMS – Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo has some words worth sharing.
The soul-baring poetess and musical vocalist will do so on Wednesday in the intimate setting of Gallery 51, artistic venue of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Jonathan Secor, MCLA director of special programs, said Okoawo was chosen to headline the second annual “Sekou Sundiata Evening of Poetry and Spoken Word” because of her lyrics of peace, positivity and personal connections. ”She’s an amazing artist, a powerful, beautiful wordsmith and performer,” Secor said. …more here for full article
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Sekou Sundiata Evening of Poetry and Spoken Word : :
Wednesday, March 10, 2010; 7:30 p.m. MCLA Gallery 51
Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo, of Nigerian decent, is one of the most sought after poetry slammers, a recipient of the 2008 National Performance Network/NCCC Artist of Color Residency Award and a two-time National Poetry Slam Individual Finalist. She has been asked to compose and perform for Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, and was commissioned by Discovery Channel for their 2008 brand campaign. [More information...]
Call to reserve your tickets for this show our any of the upcoming performances. For tickets, call: 413.662.5204 and for general information, call: 413.664.8718.
$12 General Admission, $8 MCLA Alumni, $5 MCLA Faculty and Staff, FREE for MCLA Students and Members
Rhyme and RhythmSlam poet to perform at MCLA Gallery 51 March 1003/03/2010
A registered pharmacist who once helped heal people’s bodies, Iyeoka Okoawo found her life’s work in music and poetry slamming, where she’s enriching people’s spirits. On Wednesday, March 10, she will perform at MCLA Presents! “Sekou Sundiata Evening of Poetry and the Spoken Word,” at 7:30 p.m., in MCLA Gallery 51. Growing up in Boston as the child of Nigerian parents, Okoawo has been involved with the arts, music, and writing since she was very young. Although she initially chose pharmacy as her career path, she never stopped writing poetry and was an active participant in choir and music. However, a few “landmark experiences” gave her the courage to make a shift. “I was in an airplane that was struck by lightning and going down,” Okoawo recalls. “I had my whole life flash before my eyes. I knew I just needed to try to do what I’m really passionate about, which is poetry. “Pharmacy is such an old, old amazing tradition. There’s no roadmap for poetry, but I didn’t see that as a reason why I couldn’t pursue it. So, I’m making my own roadmap,” she adds. What’s more, she’s preparing a roadmap for others who may wish to follow in her footsteps by writing a book on how to become a slam poet. “I’m realizing there’s even more I can do to help this genre of art. It’s important,” Okoawo explains. “There’s this element of empowerment for such a variety of different people who end up getting into it. It’s kind of like the inside scoop to being creative. You learn to use your voice. You learn to use gestures to bring your words to life. You’re able to experience the process of writing and tap into those moments of our lives that have shifted us at some point – for the good or the bad.” The length of her set at Wednesday’s show, she says, will allow her to involve the audience and allow them to “become a part of the moment.” “Expect that you will be experiencing the call and response of the spoken word. I believe that everyone can be a poet. I know that’s a bold statement to make, but I’ve interacted with way too many adults and youth to know that there’s so many closet poets,” says Okoawo. “All they need is an opportunity to shine. In my shows, I give everyone an opportunity to express. Sometimes, I invite people to sing with me as well. People take the opportunity and it’s really empowering for me to watch an audience transform like that.” Her MCLA Gallery 51 performance will be a combination of poetry and music. The lead singer of The Rock by Funk Tribe, she will be joined by a member of that band, composer and multi-instrumentalist Akili Jamal Haynes, a member of the woodwinds and brass faculty at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Also a singer/songwriter, her newest single “The Yellow Brick Road Song,” recently was featured in the third episode of HBO’s newest series “How to Make it in America.” Music, she says, is “basically just another form of poetry for me.” “I’ve always gravitated toward songs that were empowering, inspiring, and that made me move, whether it was a slow song or an upbeat song. Those are the songs that I’m writing. As a poet, I want to be able to encourage people to think about writing songs that really are disciplined in the lyrical content – that can potentially read as poems if you didn’t have the musical to back them up.” Tickets are $12 for general admission, $8 for MCLA faculty and staff, and free to MCLA students and members of MCLA Presents! For tickets, call (413) 662-5204. For general information, call (413) 664-8718 or go to www.mcla.edu/presents. |
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Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo
poet, vocalist
Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo is a performance poet/vocalist and a recipient of the 2008 National Performance Network/NCCC Residency Award. A first-generation Nigerian-American, Iyeoka was a practicing pharmacist before launching her career as a poet, performer, activist, and educator. [more]
Spoken Word Showcase
Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo
October 24, 2009
00:45:43
Poet Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo host a spoken word showcase, in which beautiful, powerful language is transformed into music to convey deep emotions and provocative ideas. Young Bostonians perform original works as well as those of well-known published poets.
http://forum-network.org/speaker/iyeoka-ivie-okoawo
Presented By WGBH and Boston Book Festival:
Iyeoka to Pay Tribute to Mia Farrow at Kennedy Center
PRLog.Org – Global Press Release Distribution
Leon H. Sullivan Foundation hosting Star Studded 6th Biennial Awards dinner at Kennedy Center in DC
By Phanai Media Group Dated: Aug 27, 2009
Boston Poet Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo to Pay Tribute to Mia Farrow during 2009 Leon H. Sullivan Summit Awards at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: Quincy Jones, Henry Louis Gates and Tyler Perry Also to be Honored.
The Leon H. Sullivan Foundation will host their Sixth Awards Ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Art in Washington DC on August 27, 2009. The honorees will be celebrated for their advocacy, humanitarian efforts and contributions to helping the poor and disadvantaged worldwide. The 2009 Honorees are Founder, Wheels to Africa, Winston Duncan; actress/activist, Mia Farrow, scholar and educator, Dr. Henry Louis Gates; composer/musician Herbie Hancock; mobile communications entrepreneur Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim; Grammy-award winning conductor, producer/arranger, Quincy Jones; and actor/producer/playwright, Tyler Perry.
The program will also include a special performance poetry and song tribute presented by Nigerian poet and vocalist Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo to Mia Farrow who has stood at the forefront of advocacy for the underprivileged in Africa for years working tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for children in those afflicted areas.
“The poem I will present testifies to the journey of awareness and action that occurs when leaders in our worldwide community armed with resources, heart and a voice choose to allow themselves to be inspired enough to speak out about conflicted and developing regions in Africa,” offers Iyeoka. “All of these honorees have that in common and I am honored to celebrate them at the Award Ceremony.”
Like Ms. Farrow, Iyeoka uses her position in the spotlight to work for positive social change. As official spokesperson for the Amenawon foundation, a non profit focusing on projects in smaller villages that often fly under the radar of international resource pools, Iyeoka uses her inspiring poetic abilities to raise awareness of global public health issues and speaks out on how these challenges resonate in the lives of rural villagers in Nigeria.
The honorees will be celebrated Thursday, August 27, 2009 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (reception 6:30 p.m.; program 8:00 p.m.). Among many event highlights; Ambassador Andrew Young (the Chairman of the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation) will pay a tribute to His Excellency Mwai Kibaki, President of The Republic of Kenya.
“We will always portray the best of Africa and bring the majesty of the continent to her lost sons and daughters,” said Hope Masters, President and CEO of the Sullivan Foundation. “We are bringing the finest elements of Africa for everyone to enjoy; we are going to honor amazing people who contribute to making the world better.”
The evening also serves as a platform to showcase the Ninth Leon H. Sullivan Summit (The Summit) which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya July 19-23, 2010. Held every two years in Africa, the Summit is designed to enable African countries and other friends of Africa an opportunity to focus on economic empowerment, self-help, social responsibility and human rights.
The Leon H. Sullivan Foundation is a 501c3 designed to carry on the spirit and legacy of Reverend Leon H. Sullivan, the great African-American international humanitarian who dedicated his life advocating for the poor and disadvantaged in Africa and worldwide.
### Phanai Media Group is a Boston based interactive agency, independent record label and front office for the works of founder and CEO Francis Phan.http://www.phanai.com/
The Return of Hip-Hop’s Slick Rick to Boston at Harpers Ferry and The Rise of The Rock by Funk Tribe
Boston-based band IYEOKA & the Rock by Funk Tribe opens for legendary rapper from the Bronx, SLICK RICK backed by Bad Rabbits, happening on February 27 at Harpers Ferry. The evening promises to showcase to Hip-Hop fans the true “ART OF STORYTELLING”.
Iyeoka and the Rock by Funk Tribe Supports Slick Rick @ Harpers Ferry Feb 27th FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRLog (Press Release) – Feb 04, 2009 – Slick Rick is scheduled to headline Harpers Ferry on the 27th of the month with backing band Bad Rabbits. Opening act, Iyeoka & the Rock by Funk Tribe will be present to light up the microphones and the stage to support the British-born MC. From supporting act role to popular international world music group ZAP MAMA at the Paradise Rock Club this past summer, to the “La Di Da Di” Grammy nominated Hip-Hop Icon SLICK RICK at Harpers Ferry on Friday, February 27th, the Rock by Funk Tribe is quickly making their name as a refreshing sound emerging in the Boston music scene. Backed by a tight tribe of solid musicians fronted by both a male and female vocalist, award winning national slam poetess Iyeoka Okoawo and Hip-Hop MC B.Cap of The Press Project, make up the heartbeat of the Rock by Funk Tribe. Clearly capable of crossing genres, one merely needs to consider the magic of blending an Unplugged Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott and Jay-Z vibe to create a magnetic duo interweaving harmonies, lyrics and poetry. The combination is a hip-hop-funk-soul-poetry LIVE band that is dynamically fitting to support Slick Rick who has been nicknamed both “The Ruler” and “The Storyteller” due to his success at influencing an entire culture with his elaborate and witty narratives. In October of 2008, Slick Rick was honored on the VH1 Hip Hop Honors show for his more than 20-year career contribution to Hip-Hop nation. Iyeoka explains fondly, “… I still remember my NU college days going through my college party walking phase with my girls and getting down on the dance floor when “La Di Da Di” (we like to party) would come on. Everybody knew the words. I can only imagine at this point what it feels like for a cross-generational audience to get that ‘old school’ familiar with your hooks and lyrics. I’m honored to share the stage with the legendary Slick on the 27th and shut the month down on this 2009 RBFT February Funky College Tour at the H. Ferry.” In addition to being featured performers at the 2008 Boston Arts Festival and the 29th Annual Oktoberfest in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Iyeoka and the Rock by Funk Tribe are featured monthly to an enthusiastic and diverse crowd at the Alchemist Lounge in Jamaica Plain, MA, consistently filling the house to capacity with a line out the door. As one of the most sought after poetry slammers in the country and a 2008 National Performance Network/NCCC Artist Residency Award recipient, Iyeoka Okoawo has been embraced for the fresh infusion of poetry and music she offers to the Northeast college circuit. This month, Iyeoka, along with her Rock by Funk Tribe will be embarking on the February Funky College Tour that includes Simmons College, Northeastern University, Massachusetts College of Art, Wellesley College and Wheaton College among other universities to celebrate Black History Month.
Boston.com Video Contest Winner!
Local Boston Poet Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo Wins Big with Tina Turner On Boston.com Original Video Contest
Amway Global Presents Tina Turner in concert at the TD Banknorth Garden on Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Boston poet Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo and music producer Francis Phan win Boston.com’s original music video contest.
FOR IMMEDIATE PRLog (Press Release) – Nov 14, 2008 – In the wake of an exciting selection of a new President Elect, Barak Obama and an upswing of performance opportunities in both poetry and music in 2009, Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo and producer Francis Phan couldn’t be happier as winners of Boston.com’s first original music video contest.
On Nov. 17th Amway Global Presents Tina Turner LIVE in concert at the TD Banknorth Garden. Boston.com accepted original music video submissions from artists looking to showcase their talents for a chance to win tickets to see Tina Turner. Iyeoka’s video entitled “Revolution” was selected by Boston.com staff as among the most unique videos. As finalists, Boston.com readers then had an opportunity to vote for five winners.
Tina Turner has been acknowledged as one of the world’s most popular and biggest-selling music artists of all time and is the most successful female rock artist of all time with record sales exceeding 180 million.
“The bonus prize in this entire scenario, says Francis Phan, music producer for “Revolution”, is that when we submitted, we knew that if selected it would be featured on the Boston.com website which we were thrilled about, but we had no idea people were going to be asked to vote. So the win feels that much more special since the viewers have spoken giving us a thumbs up on the work we’re doing with spoken word and music.”
Iyeoka feels like this win is another step in the right direction for Spoken Word Music and the result of listeners recognizing the combination as a viable medium of expression. She states, “Tina Turner’s spirit, story and music has empowered me for a very long time. I’m looking forward to experiencing Tina LIVE for the first time which I’m sure will translate to more poems and more songs.”
