Monday, June 04, 2007

Abiodun Koya




The Washington, DC metropolitan area is one of the most culturally diverse areas of the United States. This is one of the reasons why I love it here. This diversity brings with it a wealth of talent from different countries and cultures. For instance, my wife recently introduced me to Abiodun Koya, a young, beautiful opera singer from Nigeria. Now, there are many groups of hard working Nigerians represented in the DC metropolitan area, but very few of them are classically trained opera singers like Ms. Koya. Abiodun is also an actor, model and poet.

I found her love for the Arts and her personality to be both refreshing and inspirational. She is a bright young woman who is passionate about her work and the empowerment of African women in the Diaspora. Abiodun or “Abby” as she is affectionately known attributes her success and accomplishments to hard work, prayer and steadfast devotion. Abiodun has been featured in national and international publications including Africa Vibes Magazine. Please visit Abiodun Koya’s website for more information, poetry and great photos.




World song

It is easy to love
Just love me as you love yourself
Then will doors of joy fling open
Peace, love, and care
That’s what this wayfaring stranger needs

Show me your heart
Show me love
My heart is weary
Show me kindness
Even after I close my eyes to lay finally
Give me unconditional love
Until then will my heart stop bleeding


By: Abiodun Koya


For more information on the benefit concert please visit Abiodun's MySpace page.

28 comments:

BronzeBuckaroo said...

Thank you for this post and poem. She has a new fan here.

Fabrizio said...

WOAH! Does she have a little sister?
I mean... she looks good!

:-b

Fab

Stephen A. Bess said...

Bronze-
Hello and thanks! She's a talented young lady.

Fabrizio-
:) I'm not sure how many siblings, but according to her website she's fairly young (mid 20s).

Professor Zero said...

Frivolity: I want a dress just like that. It doesn't look too hard to make if you have good cloth ... but doing that would be *such* a good tool for procrastination!!!

Stephen A. Bess said...

Professor-
Yes, because buying or having it made would definitely test your pockets. :)

Anonymous said...

This poem is soooo beautiful! I am feeling every word of it. Thanks for introducing me to her. I'm going to check her out!

Also- I love it in the DC area as well, and for the same reasons as you. I've never lived in a place that is so culturally diverse. I love DC!!

Hope you had a great weekend, Stephen!

Peace & Love

Anonymous said...

Just browsed her website...she is so beautiful! =)

Anonymous said...

I love her smile, I sure don't have the body for that gorgeous dress! She is a talented young lady; a "complete package" as my brother Brian would say it. Sure knows how to toy with words!!Thanks for sharing Stephen, I will definitely check her out.

Tafari said...

Now that is AWESOME! Have you heard of Measha Brueggergosman (http://www.measha.com/)? She is a young opera singer from Toronto rocking a serious Afro.

Peace,
Bygbaby

Stephen A. Bess said...

UB-
Yes, she is a talented young sister and very driven. She relies on her will and strong faith in God.

Try-
You can still get a slightly larger dress and work it! :)

BygBaby-
I have never heard of Measha Brueggergosman, but now I'm going to look her up. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

1st: I love DC...my favorite city!

2nd: that lady is drop dead gorgeous...whoa!

Writing on Board said...

Wasup, B?

Someone told me yesterday that Washington is the second city in the U.S. with the most theaters after NYC:

http://www.studiotheatre.org/365/

I also heard that Walt Disney was born in Spain and that Linda Carter who played Wonder Woman on TV was part Mexican. So I don't know who to believe. But I do believe that Ms. Koya is lovely and her poem is too. I have only one question about the last two lines of the poem:

Give me unconditional love
Until then will my heart stop bleeding

Is it:

Give me unconditional love
[Then] will my heart stop bleeding

Or:

Give me unconditional love
Until then will my heart [keep] bleeding

Not sure.

Lyrically speaking said...

She is very beautiful and I checked out her website which is impressive...thanks for this contribution :)

Stephen A. Bess said...

Dawn-
Yes, gotta love DC. Abby, did you read that? She called you "drop dead gorgeous." :)

Alex-
I've heard that about DC too. Actually, I thought that we were in third place behind Los Angeles. Either way it is pretty impressive considering the size of our city. The Studio theater is one of my favorites. I haven't been to a play there in a while, but there's not a bad seat in the house. Peace~

Cathy-
Thank you. You know, for me it is a celebration of our people of color in the Diaspora. It is to dispel the old myth that we don't support each other. Well, guess what... :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the heads up! I'll check her out. Does she perform in the area soon? I guess I should check out her site huh? lol Thanks!

Stephen A. Bess said...

Sugar-
Cool. your comment gave me an idea so I posted the next event. Thans. :)

Dance_Soul said...

She's beautiful. I'd like to hear her. I'll bet she can SANG, SANG, SANG.

Stephen A. Bess said...

Dance-
True...she can SANG! :)

black feline said...

she is blesed with good look...and multi talents...:)

Cergie said...

Cergy too is a culturally diverse area you know. I can see here plenty beautifully dressed ladies too.
I was in china during ten days, Stephen.
I'm fine, and you ?

Stephen A. Bess said...

Blkfeline-
True indeed.

Cergie-
Hello Lucie! I know that your trip was wonderful. The pictures are great! I am well.

get zapped said...

It's so refreshing to see a young person with such spirit, and devotion to her faith and her life. I can only imagine her voice...thank you.

Stephen A. Bess said...

Zapped-
Hello and thank you!

Xave said...

WOW! She's (almost) as beautiful as my Ali. LOL. Of course I'm just joking. No woman is a beautiful as a man's own because a man sees his woman from the inside. Hey, I feel a poem coming on. That's what happens when I come here :-)

The poem is VERY powerful. it's perfect even and makes me think of a very dear friend from Kenya.

Peace brother!

Stephen A. Bess said...

Xavier-
So true. We see so much more with our woman. I'm happy to inspire. Your expressions of love are also inspirational. Peace~

Anonymous said...

She's stunning, and those words...now I'll have to do more research. Thanks Stephen.

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

I hope I get to hear her sing one day.

Speaking of Nigeria...their movies are all the rage right now in Guyana...my mother is addicted, every single day, at 1 pm...in front of the tv!

Every woman who's at home plans her day to she can watch them.

Stephen A. Bess said...

Essequibo-
Yes, she's very talented.

GG-
I heard of those Nigerian shows. I need to see If I can get my hands on some. We have so much available in the DC area. There many Nigerian stores and venders.

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