The yellow brick road iyeoka biography

singer-songwriterjazz musicianpoet

Iyeoka Okoawo is a Nigerian-American poet, recording artist, singer, activist, educator and TEDGlobal Fellow.

Career

Her music includes elements from soul, Rhythm & Blues, rock, hip hop, and jazz. A first-generation Nigerian American, Iyeoka Okoawo was a practicing pharmacist before launching her musical career.

Musical career

She 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.

In 2004, she released her first solo full-length album of poem-songs, called Black and Blues, through Phanai Records.

Then she began to tour and appeared on other artists’ albums, including The Press Project’s Get Right album and Memoirs of the Tempo by Tempo Valley.

In 2008, Iyeoka released her second album of poetry and music fusion, Hum The Bass Lincolnshire, again on Phanai R