Looking for something inspirational and a bit international? Check out Iyeoka Okoawo. This woman is an artist of an up and coming genre, known only as “poetry slam.”
It’s a genre where poetry is read in a rhythmic conduct along with a soulful motif. It can be very inspiring, and it touches the soul. Iyeoka Okoawo is a poetry slammer of Nigerian decent who plans to make a difference with her words.
In 2006, Okoawo won a New England Urban Music Award for the Best Female Spoken Word Poet, and in 2007 she received a Massachusetts Industry Committee Hip-Hop Award for Spoken Word Artist of the year.
Iyeoka is also known world-wide. She was sought out by the president of Rwanda to perform a poem for a dinner he was hosting. Her art is like a rap song with more soul and more relevance to a larger audience. Though her medium is unusual where she does not sing her rhythmic words, they are piercing with poignancy.
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- Slam poet Iyeoka performs at the African & Caribbean Cultural Night at Boston University on February 19, 2009. / Peter Keeling for Blast Magazine
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- Slam poet Iyeoka performs at the African & Caribbean Cultural Night at Boston University on February 19, 2009. / Peter Keeling for Blast Magazine
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- Slam poet Iyeoka performs at the African & Caribbean Cultural Night at Boston University on February 19, 2009. / Peter Keeling for Blast Magazine
She was recently at Boston University, where Blast had the chance to see her in action. She will be performing three more times in Massachusetts — Wednesday in Wellesley College at 7 p.m.; at Harper’s Ferry Friday in Allston; and March 13 at Alchemist Lounge in Jamaica Plain.
Do not miss out. Check out her website at http://www.iyeoka.com.
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