Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo is a Poet and Recording Artist, a 2010 TED … Read Full Bio ↴Music
Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo is a Poet and Recording Artist, a 2010 TED Global Fellow, the 2nd place 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion, and a spokesperson for the Amenawon Foundation. Daughter of Nigerian-born parents who both hold Doctorate degrees from Boston University, Iyeoka was a practicing pharmacist before launching her career as a poet, singer, activist and educator. In her native Esan language, Iyeoka means “I want to be respected.” By channeling her culture and ancestral influences, she delivers an authentic and inspiring message of healing through accessing the power of the moment.
Iyeoka began her musical career by founding the group The Rock by Funk Tribe, a collective of musicians that enabled her to interweave her poetry with jazz, blues, funk, and gospel. She released her first solo full length album of poem-songs called “Black and Blues” in 2004 through Phanai Records and then began to tour and make numerous appearances on other artist’s albums, including The Press Project’s “Get Right” album and “Memoirs of the Tempo” by Tempo Valley.
In 2007, Iyeoka released her second album of poetry and music fusion “Hum The Bass Line” again on Phanai Records. In 2008, she recorded a live album in Hawaii called Live @ KTUH – Honolulu. That same year, Iyeoka lent her vocal talent to a cover of U2′s hit song “Desire” for a compilation of U2 covers called “In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2.” The album featured Grammy Award-winning/nominated African artists including Angelique Kidjo, Les Nubians, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, Vieux Farka Toure, Vusi Mahlasela and the Soweto Gospel Choir with proceeds benefiting the Global Fund.
In 2009, Iyeoka decided to transform her sound and songwriting approach and began working with producer David Franz (in collaboration with her original producer, Francis Phan) to create more traditional song forms. Iyeoka released two EPs that year called “This Time Around” and “Run Into the Rain.” The new music infused more pop, R&B, dance, and hip hop into the mix, creating an “electronic soul” sound.
In November of 2010, Iyeoka released her new album, SAY YES, containing nine songs and two poems, through the Underground Sun artist development company. It is the first “Evolving Album(tm)” where purchasers will receive added content for free as the album evolves. Even before the album’s release, the first song “The Yellow Brick Road Song” was featured in an episode of the new hit HBO series “How To Make It In America” and is now the official theme song of the USA Network’s show “Fairly Legal.”
Iyeoka is currently touring in support of the new album and her poetry. In the past, Iyeoka has toured in support of artists such as Femi Kuti, Zap Mama and Soulive, as well as played musical festivals like Bonnaroo. The buzz surrounding her poetry has also garnered her national attention through performances at the TBS Trumpet Awards, the Sullivan Honors Awards at the Kennedy Center and Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam on HBO.
Iyeoka is a powerful songstress whose lyrical prowess and vocal talents invoke the spirit of soul-shakers Nina Simone, Sade, Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse. A story teller to the core, Iyeoka’s hope-filled words pour out from within and build momentum based on truth. As the words transform into songs, they reemerge as unique, emotionally complex gifts to her audience, touching on a wide range of issues–love, women, culture, struggle, and relationships, among many others.
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Poetry
“My goal is simple…I just want to move the world one poem at a time.”
Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo is a Poet/Recording Artist, the 2nd place 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion and a 2010 TED Global Fellow. A first-generation Nigerian-American, Iyeoka was a practicing pharmacist before launching her career as a poet, presenter, activist and educator. Among Iyeoka’s individual lists of credits is performing at the Kennedy Center for an award event honoring activist and actress Mia Farrow, being commissioned by Discovery Channel for their 2008 brand campaign, being commissioned by a top-twenty ad agency to write a piece for a diversity training tool, receiving a 2011 Independent Music Award nomination for her R&B song “This Time Around”, a Massachusetts Industry Committee Hip-Hop Award for Spoken Word Artist of the year, and a New England Urban Music Award for the Best Female Spoken Word Poet. She holds the distinction of being the only member of the nationally competing Boston Lizard Lounge Slam team to have earned her position nine years in a row. Iyeoka is currently partnering with selective arts organizations to present her WORD SPEAKING TRIBE’S Professional Development Workshops on a 2010 nationwide tour.
A storyteller to the core, Iyeoka’s hope-filled poems come from within and build momentum with truth transformed into songs that reemerge as unique, emotionally complex gifts to her audience, touching on a wide range of issues-love, women, culture, struggle, relationships, among many others. The buzz surrounding her poem and songs has garnered her national attention through performances at the TBS Trumpet Awards, the CBS hip hop show The Source All Access and Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam airing on HBO. Iyeoka also has opened for the Tony Award winning Def Poetry Jam on Broadway tour at the Colonial Theater in Boston. Sharing the stage with recording artists Chuck D of Public Enemy, Musiq Soul Child and Vivian Greene to poets Gil Scot Heron, Sonia Sanchez, and Amiri Baraka—Iyeoka has held true to her core.
Across the nation, at venues ranging from universities, large concert halls, and neo-soul clubs to venerable spoken word haunts like the Nuyorican Poets Café; Iyeoka’s warm spirit, stirring lyrics and passionate performances leave audiences not only entertained but visibly overcome with emotion. Widely considered one of the top performance poets in the country, Iyeoka has earned her reputation by performing on the National Poetry Slam circuit for well over a decade, with the Jeff Robinson Trio and as a member of the acclaimed Bull Horn Collective and Blackout Arts Collective.
A gifted performer, Iyeoka’s acting prowess has been featured as the title character in a PBS documentary on Harriet Tubman, as well as an off-Broadway play produced by Thema Bryant Davis. Her poem on Rwanda is also featured in a documentary film “Rwanda Rising” that is Executive Produced by Andrew Young the former ambassador to the United Nations.
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Workshops
Creating Your Current Anthem
The process of creating your current anthem is a profound practice that helps to uplift the spirit and reintegrate the subconscious with the paths in life that we hope to deliberately choose for ourselves. Working with simple moments that trigger empowerment—breathing, listening, movement, singing anything, speaking in your words is a cleansing process that reconnects you with your ability to summon balance and healing.
The focus of this workshop is to introduce participants to a process of exercising the habitual patterns that feed the creative experience enabling you to create a composition of celebration and recognition that in every moment we can be truly present for the motion in our journeys that launches new paths to renewal.
Through a combination of breathing exercises, writing prompts, improvisation, artistic demonstrations from the facilitators and a supportive environment to explore the gathering of inspiration, you will have the opportunity to transform your authentic voice.
In addition to creating your own anthem, you will learn the tools that propel words to shift from the page to the stage. This workshop is for both the beginner and experienced writer, the slam poet, actors and even non-writers who seek to discover the empowering medium of transforming your life with poetry and the organic ways to express it.
The Testifying Goddess
Here we celebrate our true Goddess nature and learn how to amalgamate her into every aspect of our creative lives. Here we experience deliberate spiritual nourishment and attention to recharge our spirits, bodies and our hearts. We envision the path of strengthening our self-image by cultivating love for our body, the temple of our spirit. This process shifts participants into celebrating our enlightened energy at every stage of our journey in life. Through creative writing exercises and personal testimonies we share about love, pain, changes, the art of sharing your Testimony, and poetic exploration within our sacred circle creating a magical blend of unity, the impact of ritual, laughing, singing, healing, meditating, honoring, opening and connecting. New friendships in this environment go deep fast, and we create a community of Testifying Goddesses that can catapult personal connections with the potential for resonance long after the experience is over. Iyeoka Okoawo is a Poet and Vocalist and a workshop facilitator for both the youth and adults. She inspires women to embrace their creative expression and goddess nature, and enables them to step into their power, opening to the joy of a spiritual and creative life connection. Iyeoka is a nationally award winning poet and a guest Visiting Teacher at the Esalen Institute. Iyeoka has hosted “The Testifying Goddess Weekend” several times with women empowerment retreats and leadership conferences.
Poetry Slam All-Star Showcase & Workshop
What do you get when you combine Poetry with Storytelling, Comedy, Dramatic Monologue, Battle Rap, Song, and Dance? You have an art form called Performance Poetry! What happens when these new performers compete, judged by members of the audience? You get a Poetry Slam. And what elite final event remains after thousands of poets from across the globe compete for a year? You get the Individual World Poetry Slam (iWPS). Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo is a 10 year slam veteran of this art form, the 2nd place champion of the 2009 IWPS competition and frequent presenter at the Esalen Institue, founded in 1962 as an alternative educational center devoted to the exploration of the human potential.
Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo hosts a Poetry Slam All-Star showcase that includes an option to participate in a Master Workshop that guides participants in creating their own current anthem.
Workshop For the Brave New Voice
Living as a professional artist takes initiative and perseverance. If we are to survive doing what we love we must first find the avenues and pathways to succeed within it.
ART AS LIFE is a new PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM that introduces youth poets to the ins and outs of creating a viable foundation into navigating potential future income streams and career opportunities in spoken word. This workshop will give access to resources for individual art funding, a comprehensive “cheat-sheet” for establishing a strategic professional resume, and information on expanding your artistic profile and repertoire beyond the “slam”. Drawing from roundtable discussions, research on best practices in the spoken-word field, and artists’ on-the-ground experience, this workshop incorporates a step-by-step overview of the topic, partner exercises and case studies. We will present “the process of becoming”, putting your art into action (ie: teaching, mentoring, project development etc), and working through the social/familial/political challenges of a career as an artist. Handouts will include University slam resources, a Find Your Approach list to begin framing your career strategy, and quick tips for building your support group.
Wordshop Lecture:
“Reveal your anthem, Unveil yourself”
Iyeoka is a poet, recording artist, a 10 year veteran of “slam poetry”, and a 5x finalist at the National Poetry Slam. Iyeoka is currently the 2nd place 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion and a recipient of the 2008 National Performance Network/NCCC Artist of Color Residency Award.
Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo lectures on the impact of poetry on the creation and inspiration of songwriting and music. The presentation includes an analysis of the direction and potential of the poetry and music genre to expand into the mainstream. The goals of the lecture are to inspire poets to explore the options of interacting and collaborating with musicians from rehearsing to improvisational techniques. Iyeoka provides exercises that highlight the process of cementing your personal foundation, encouraging artists to “reveal your anthem, unveil yourself”. She dialogues with young and seasoned poets alike on techniques of strengthening your brand to the development and expansion of your current catalogue of work to categorize your poetry. She speaks of the importance of identifying your uniqueness and capitalizing on the crafted integration of your multiple artistic talents.
Say Yes
Iyeoka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you wont come down
So I'm leaving tomorrow
I'm a traveler making my way around the world
Airplanes and automobiles carry me away
I got my whole life ahead of me, but
I want to make you my priority
I could be ready to settle down real soon
Oh love!
I see you up in the air, Love!
I know how much you care, Love!
But if you stay up there for too long
I know I will be gone
You said you love me
But you wont come down
So I'm leaving tomorrow
And when the long road is calling me
Like a smile that comes with a summer breeze
I know somewhere down here
There's a place for you and me
Oh love!
I see you next to the moon, Love!
I know how much you care, Love!
But if you stay up there for too long
I know I will be gone
But if you Say Yes! to following your heart
Yes! To keeping me on
Your mind and in your arms tonight
Where I can celebrate
The day that you will ask for me to stay
The song "Say Yes" by Iyeoka is a love song that explores themes of commitment and longing. The lyrics describe the singer's desire to settle down with a lover who is reluctant to make the same commitment. The first stanza sets the tone for the song, with the singer expressing frustration with their lover's unwillingness to come down from the metaphorical heights they have reached. The second stanza reveals the singer's own ambitions and desires, as they describe themselves as a traveler making their way around the world, but ultimately seeking a deeper connection with the person they love.
The chorus of the song features the repeated word "Love", which takes on a dual meaning. On one hand, it represents the person who the singer loves, while also representing the abstract concept of love itself. The singer emphasizes the depth of their feeling by imagining their lover in the sky, echoing the age-old trope of love as something that lifts people up.
The third stanza is perhaps the most emotional, as the singer contemplates leaving their lover behind and following their own path. However, the final stanza reveals a glimmer of hope, as the singer imagines a scenario where their lover says "Yes" to both them and to their shared future. The lyrics suggest that the singer is willing to be patient, but ultimately needs some sign of commitment from their partner in order to continue the relationship.
Overall, "Say Yes" is a poignant reflection on the challenges of love and commitment. The song touches on themes of wanderlust and personal ambition, but ultimately suggests that these can be balanced with a deep connection to another person.
Line by Line Meaning
You said you love me
You spoke the words, 'I love you' to me.
But you wont come down
However, you refuse to come down from wherever you are.
So I'm leaving tomorrow
Therefore, I have made up my mind to depart tomorrow.
I'm a traveler making my way around the world
I am a wanderer who journeys around the globe.
Airplanes and automobiles carry me away
Planes and cars transport me from one location to another.
I got my whole life ahead of me, but
Although I have my entire lifetime in front of me,
I want to make you my priority
I desire to prioritize you in my life.
I got my eyes on you
I am paying attention to you with keen interest.
I could be ready to settle down real soon
I may be prepared to establish a long-term relationship soon.
Oh love!
Oh, my beloved!
I see you up in the air, Love!
I perceive you elevated in the sky, oh my darling!
I know how much you care, Love!
I comprehend how much you care, oh my beloved!
But if you stay up there for too long
However, if you continue to remain up there for an extended period
I know I will be gone
I know I will no longer be around.
And when the long road is calling me
Furthermore, when the lengthy path beckons me.
Like a smile that comes with a summer breeze
Similar to a grin that accompanies a summertime wind.
I know somewhere down here
I have an awareness that down here somewhere
There's a place for you and me
A location exists for both you and me to share.
Oh love!
Oh, my beloved!
I see you next to the moon, Love!
I behold you near to the moon, oh my darling!
But if you stay up there for too long
However, if you linger up there for too long
I know I will be gone
I know I will no longer be around.
But if you Say Yes! to following your heart
Nonetheless, If you say yes to pursue the desires of your heart
Yes! To keeping me on
Yes, to keeping me in your life
Your mind and in your arms tonight
In your thoughts and holding me close today
Where I can celebrate
A place where I can cheerfully rejoice
The day that you will ask for me to stay
The day that you earnestly request for me to remain by your side.
Contributed by Elijah S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Наталья Рихтер
Какая красотка, шикарная улыбка, бархатный голос. Скучаю по ней если долго не слушаю.
Marta. Castañeda
Hace poco la descubrí y uyy qué si es muy buena artista me gusta mucho la buena música y ella es una morenasa con mucho talento.😘😘
purejupiter333
Can we please have more and more of Iyeoka, pleeese??? So beautiful!!!!!!
Rodrigo Persant
Definitivamente uma das melhores vozes de hj em dia, perfeita canção, perfeita beleza e letra linda =], se vc não conhece em Simply falling, impossível não se apaixonar !!!!
Vika Pyps
ПОТОМУ ЧТО МУЗЫКА+СЕРДЦЕ.НЕ ПОТЕРЯЙ.
Deniselbe da Silva Andrade Deni
Ela é simplesmente maravilhosa! que voz essa menina tem! Não me canso de ouvi-la e sou admiradora.
Vinivcius Sales
conheci hoje e gostei bastante do som dessa cantora. sucesso!
tigerofjade
It's not just her voice that's amazing... I love her lyrics!
Nirvani Teasley
So glad I found this girl! She's an incredible vocalist!!
Marcela Wanderley
apaixonada por essa música ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤