One listen to Iyeoka will capture your spirit and won't let it go until her lyrics are done encircling the rhythm of your soul with words of truth, beats of passion, and the strength of pure poetry. You truly have to listen to her album to feel the full effect of what we are saying. This lady is on fire, and we just hold our breath of anticipation of whats to come next for her. Her voice is so strong and magnificent and offers you no choice but to feel her positive vibration. We recently caught up with the lovely poetess and below she shares a glimpse into what inspires her world, why she will never stop chasing stars, and her love for her Nigerian culture.

ymib: What has been the biggest lesson that you have learned about life and womanhood thus far?

Iyeoka: I must admit I have several “big lessons” about life and I thank God for bringing all of those moments and revelations to me. One of my greatest lessons learned to date is the daily recognition of how much of a miracle we are. Our bodies are miracles, our presence is a miracle---the fact that we are living and breathing truly is a gift. I will be the first to tell you how hard it is to remember this on a constant basis. But that too is part of the lesson.

I give thanks to the incredible spirits and teachers who have gravitated towards me helping to support my directions in life. I have always been skilled at multitasking. I attended a high school (Boston Latin School) that encouraged excellence in academics as well as extracurricular activities. So I threw myself into sports through track and field, music through the string orchestra and gospel choir, and finally performance arts through public speaking competitions. All of this training and exercises of interests exposed me to opportunities and elements of being a child of the human spirit at its fullest potential. This foundation is a reflection of the woman I have become.

ymib: Politically or culturally/community speaking, what are two issues in this world that you are passionate about and how would you like to see them change?

Iyeoka: You know, I used to give in to the doubt demons inside of me that told me I was like everybody else and I don’t possess the true power to change anything happening in the world. The grand scheme was too big and the wheels were already in motion…so sidelines seemed to be the only true options. But today, I can testify that there is power in recognizing the ripples we are all capable of. My parents exhibited their ripples when they chose to relocate back to Nigeria to bring electricity and clean running water to the village they grew up in. Their ripples hit me, inspiring me to integrate in my poetry and art, messages that encourage other cultural hybrids to return to their places of origin and implement a change that can never manifest without our attention. As far as Nigeria is concerned or any other third world country for that matter, if we---the children of immigrants who journeyed outside of the country to educate and explore and grow---if we don’t take interest in what is happening back home---if we don’t invest in our lands and our younger generations then the government will continue ignoring the parts of the country that needs the most attention. My platform tells my brothers and sisters scattered across the Diaspora to go back to the village. The difference you can make is translated from dollars and cents into an incredible transformation of global change.

ymib: Other than music and poetry, in what other ways do you like to express and celebrate creativity and culture?

My parent’s have both encouraged me throughout my life to stay connected to my Edo heritage of Nigeria; from our language, to our dances, to our foods to the basic developmental support of the villages that have in some ways been neglected by the government. I have come to believe that one of the best ways to experience the heart of my culture and to celebrate the core of a nation is to travel into the parts of a country that has retained a large part of it’s traditional spirit. People will always find a way to get by even if they possess very little. People will find a way to live and be happy with the smallest of resources and that reality never ceases to amaze me. Especially because I was brought up in a culture where we have so much and are still so unsatisfied. It is important to me to help my parents implement their goals of strengthening the health care issues and educational limitations and lack of access that arises as a result of many of the countries most talented individuals leaving the country and never coming back.

ymib: What do you cherish most about the Nigerian culture and in what ways do you carry these feelings and memories with you daily?

Iyeoka: My siblings and I were all born and raised in the United States by parents who carried an incredibly powerful sense of cultural pride and purpose to empower and develop Nigeria. Growing up so close to that passion is what connected me so strongly to a country I never touched until I was six years old. And we would return home to my parents’ village for consecutive summers throughout my childhood. I remember the conflict I felt being an African in America and the conflict I felt being an American in Africa. To a certain extent, both cultures treated me like an outsider. It wasn’t until years later when I returned home as an adult that I was able to make peace with being a hybrid of both cultures and recognize the power of owning both perspectives.

ymib: Could you tell us more about the meaning or the inspiration behind the following songs and also, what inspired you to title you current album “Black & Blues”:

Iyeoka: The title, Black and Blues, I felt was a proper representation of the mood of the album. Although the album is extremely eclectic in its integration of spoken word and blend of several music genres- the tone is pretty consistent.

Tangled Up In Blue: This poem is one of the most emotionally self connected pieces I have ever written. I pulled this poem from a very specific experience in my life. It was my way to lift myself out of the wave of blues that kept hitting me when I realized how in love I really was and how much hurt I had allowed myself to endured. My take home message that I needed to receive from that poem was that no matter how much risk there is in loving someone...the full embrace of the experience of loving should never be compromised because of the fear of an unfavorable outcome.

Pass It On: I have a habit of writing anthems. My new album Better than Before is going to be littered with them. This piece is one of them. It tells a story of the journey and the importance of passing on your experiences and sharing your story.

Yesterdays Blues: This is a song about love. It speaks of missing the presence of someone who fills you and fulfills the moments you both dedicated in creating that love.

ymib: Favorite affirmation or quote?

Iyeoka: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." -Maya Angelou

ymib: New things that you would like to learn or do in your life?

Iyeoka: The more I travel and the more beautiful people I meet throughout my journeys, the more I want to learn to develop the parts of myself that is still dormant. I am constantly interacting with angels that are so inspiring it makes me want to reach that side of myself that I love about them. Learning to really love yourself and nurture yourself can be challenging sometimes but it shouldn’t be and doesn’t have to be. Sometimes we neglect the parts of ourselves that needs to be cultivated and lifted. My hope is that I will learn to love myself more. I have no doubt that this will transform the parts of my art that I never even recognized was suffering.

ymib: What does your name mean?

Iyeoka: My name Iyeoka (pronounced like Tapioca when you drop the Tap) means “I want to be respected”.

ymib: Why is it important for you to keep doing what you do and what are some current projects or future goals that you would like to achieve in your career?

Iyeoka: I have been given the gift of the “life glimpse” during and after I experienced two near death incidences- once in an airplane and once again in a motor vehicle. I have come to realize now how important it is to make choices and live your life as though your next big moment was not a guarantee. This insight encouraged me to take a leave of absence from my profession as a registered pharmacist working community retail. It was a scary decision to make that break from CVS and recognize the temporary shift and luxury of living with a predictable income. However, my desire to express my poetry and share my music became a bigger priority when I realized that my art, at least for now, is my true calling. Every show I participate in validates my reasons for wanting to empower and inspire more people.

As for my present and future---I am completing my 2nd full length album, to be released on Phanai Records this fall. I am performing my poetry and music at live shows with a full band now my Funk and Blues Tribe. I am working on a book of poetry. I have plans to start work on my one woman show. I am teaching vocal, creative writing and performance poetry workshops and literally making a living with my art. I have a small network of reliable resourceful friends who have helped me from booking to management. But I think with the release of this new album I will be in search of a more traditional artist representation group which will hopefully help free me up to dedicate more of my time to my writing. I want to expand and write poems and songs that could be heard in both the mainstream and the underground--- from television commercials to coffee houses. I want my art to translate crossing genres and audiences regardless of the medium that gives my poems a platform.

Her Words of Advice: Read a book. Write a poem, even if your teacher made you feel like you could never be a poet. Smile at a stranger. Hug with your eyes closed and kiss with your eyes open. In music and poetry and life and womanhood there is no rule book etched in stone…so I encourage all the ymib sisters to write and rewrite, and keep following your own!

You Can Purchase Iyeoka's Album from cdbaby.com by Clicking Here