Dirty Gerund at Ralph's Rock Diner!

THIS MONDAY!!! We’re proud and AMPED to be presenting Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo as our featured performer! A Poet/vocalist, the 2nd place 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion, Iyeoka’s a recipient of the 2008 National Performance Network/NCCC Artist of Color Residency Award. A first-generation Nigerian-American, Iyeoka was a practicing pharmacist before launching her career as a poet, performer, 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 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 the ART AS LIFE Professional Development Workshops on a 2010 nationwide tour. Iyeoka is also the  founder and lead singer of the music group The Rock by Funk Tribe. Iyeoka is at the forefront of creating a new artistic genre that gracefully interweaves spoken word poetry with jazz, blues, gospel and electronic soul. Iyeoka & the Rock by Funk Tribe is one of the most sought after supporting acts for touring artists showcasing in New England.  As a dynamic sensation in the Boston music scene, Iyeoka and the Rock by Funk Tribe have been chosen as the supporting act of choice for touring artists including son of Afrobeat FEMI KUTI, popular “World Music” group ZAP MAMA at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston and SLICK RICK @ Harper’s Ferry. She’s got numerous other amazing credits in her bio, but my fingers are getting tired from cutting and pasting! Suffice it to say, she is one of the BEST IN THE BIZ, so much so, in fact, it doesn’t feel like a biz when she takes the stage… biz don’t get this holy! She’s rocked stages all over the world… check out her website www.iyeoka.com or bow down before these clips of Iyeoka performing Revolution or… Solitary Girl…

BONUS RUCKUS – WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, OUR BONUS RUCKUS IS NOT A CHALLENGE! We do have a challenge, but this week’s RUCKUS will be found during a little ditty we like to call SNACKTIME – “why’s this snacktime so special?” well, I’ll tell you! This week’s snacktime is being sponsored by none other than DOCTOR GONZO’S UNCOMMON CONDIMENTS!!! the one, the only… fasten your taste buds, cause the good doctor’s coming down to share some unique flavor!

CHALLENGE!!! – fine, we’ll give you a challenge! OUR MAN YOSH SHARTIN WILL BE Worcester’s SEXIEST BARTENDER! The good folks at Pulse Magazine want to know, so let’s let them know, the more poetic, the better! Any good Gerunder knows that art and poetry are SEXY! so anyone who goes out of his way to support us is DAMN SEXY! Email nominations to contest@pagioinc.com~
include name, photo, & name of bar/club. Winners featured in April Issue of Pulse Magazine! Submissions due by Feb. 10th, 2010

EMAILING PULSE IS GOOD! But let’s go one better! Let’s dedicate some verse to our candidate! Bring a dedication poem about Yosh to Ralph’s Monday Night! Winner of the challenge gets an all expenses paid lunch date with Yosh at Coney Island Hot Dog! WHUT!!! SEXY!

Worcester Telegram & Gazette is DOWN… are you? 🙂

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