Iyeoka is now a NEST eligible artist!

Are you looking to invite Iyeoka to perform her empowering poetry at your event or cultural program? Iyeoka has now made it easy for you to obtain funding if you are located outside of Massachusetts. Read on...

New England States Touring (NEST) is a cooperative program with the state arts agencies of New England, that provides support to nonprofits for performances, readings, and related community activities by artists that have met the eligibility criteria for the NEST program.

*A "presenter" may be any nonprofit organization interested in bringing cultural arts programming to its community. Libraries, schools, theatres, service agencies, & arts organizations are all examples of eligible nonprofit “presenters” that can apply for NEST funding.

Grant Guidelines

NEST grants are available in amounts up to 50% of the artists' fees. The total fee may include travel, accommodations and per diem. Minimum grants are $200 and applications with requests below that amount will not be accepted.

For more on NEST go to: MORE INFO ON NEST GRANTS

Current mood: Heavy.

Due to a relationship pushing a barrier of stuff that drives sadness and rust---

The deep descent of doubt that disintegrates

YEARS of building friendship and foundation together

These are the rough patches I never asked for.

Note to self:

One of the top 10 worst ways to hurt a friend is when the moment resembles an accidental rainstorm. The neglect is unintentional yet demandingly powerful.

The abandon becomes a reoccurring wave of lifting one choice over another.

Nurturing one garden as another grows dry and weak, heavy with weeds.

I want to feel light again.

I need my approaching celebration of a new birthday to be about what God sends.

Be about what that day needs to be reserved for. What love represents…

The thank you’s for another year.

The thank God I’m still here.

The people I find a way to make time for.

The--- I know my life is full of something and today is the most important reason to open that door and remember it…to fight for it!

Today is the most important day to live for it. It’s ok to do it in silent meditation. It’s ok to bring it in with a thousand of your closest friends. It’s ok to bring it in with your mom and dad on the telephone, no matter how far they are across the Atlantic Ocean.

I need 32 to be about where I am 10 years after 22.

Where I want to be 10 years past 42

The numbers will never appropriately serve you.

Your age should never be allowed to define you.

Because dreams are limitless...

There is not enough time and not enough room to linger on the moments in the desert that quietly breaks the heart that is built to remind you how to get lifted.

And I want to feel light again.

Light with friends that feel you’re worth it every single time.

So light they can see through the tears in your eyes that may never physically ever materialize.

I want to feel light again.

The kind of light you feel when the sun is shining on you for no apparent reason.

The kind of light you feel when everyone around you loves you for a reason.

The kind of light you need when the heavy finds you caught off guard and restless to survive the break into the dawn of a new season.

Top Boston Poet

Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo is amongst the Top Poets in Boston and the Nation for that matter. Nominated for her 2nd New England Urban Music Award for Best Spoken Word Female, Iyeoka was recently asked to be involved in a upcoming Global Hip-Hop music compilation project produced by Notable Productions president and producer Daniel Cantor.

The project is a high contender to be used in the next instillation of the Red Hot + Riot, a series of music compilation projects from the Red Hot Organization to be used as a fund-raising tool for AIDS awareness efforts.

A previous project from the Red Hot Organization was Red Hot + Riot: The Music and Spirit of Fela Kuti) The album, which takes inspiration from the late Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, was released by MCA on October 15, 2002 and featured more than three dozen artists on a score of tracks.

Iyeoka's Hit Songs now on rotation at BOSTON'S TOUCH 106.1

TOUCH 106.1 IS NOW ACCESSIBLE NATIONWIDE through online streaming!
Call in to request Iyeoka's new songs "This Is Life" ft. The Foundation Movement , "If They Only Knew", or "Shine This Way" ft. Afro DZak on the radio. Listeners can contact the station by visiting www.touchfm.org or by emailing to touchfm@yahoo.com