Soprano Abiodun Koya on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

 Join Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes as we profile organizations, leaders, and volunteers who lead by example. With extraordinary acts of kindness and charitable giving that help countless lives daily, these organizations, leaders, and volunteers  embody, "Be the change you want to see in the world.

On Saturday, April 18, 2015, Living Your Best Life in partnership with GSH Media Group, listeners will hear Soprano Abiodun Koya share about her life, her musical and acting careers, her work with young performers and what keeps her inspired daily. She will also share about her upcoming performances for wedding nuptials for members of the military. The Nigerian native was recently featured in the Americolor Opera Alliance’s presentation of LaRoche, an original opera about the only black male passenger on the ill fated Titanic, where she assumed the role of “Madam Mae/Top Lady.”  

Tune in to hear how Holmes felt after hearing Abiodun Koya, known affectionately as Abby, performance in Atlanta. Listen to them talk about the text message to Soprano Karen Parks that sealed the deal for Abby to consider performing in the Bahamas. Since meeting, the two have been planning several upcoming performances to benefit military families and veteran nonprofits around the country and in the Bahamas.

Abby And Genma visiting the Parthenon in Nashville, TN

 

 

Abby on the campus of TSU with Music Major Darius Lewis

Abiodun Koya also is preparing for several concerts in Nigeria and an upcoming reality TV show. Hear hear talk future projects, her love of Nashville, and her desire to help others, especially women and young girls in her native country. At the end of this fun and lively show, you will also hear a melody of some of Genma's favorite classical songs performed by her friend Abby.

This interview promises to empower, inspire, and motivate you to live your BEST life. Living Your Best Life, can heard on 760 The Gospel in the Middle Tennessee region, Tune-In, www.UStream.TV and military bases from 9-10AM CST.

More About Abiodun Koya

Abiodun Koya in the Sirius XM Studios with Genma Holmes

Abiodun Koya, Abby, as she is fondly called, has sung for presidents, senators, ambassadors, governors, less privileged children, and Congress members to mention a few. A highlight of her career was an invitation to a black history month performance at the White House. Abiodun was recently featured in the Americolor Opera Alliance’s presentation of LaRoche, an original opera about the only black male passenger on the ill fated Titanic, where she assumed the role of “Madam Mae/Top Lady.”

Abby holds a B.A. in Business Management and devotes her time and resources to her charity foundation, the Courtesy Foundation, which raises scholarship funds for girl orphans in Africa. She uses her musical platform to shed light on issues affecting African children and women.

Soprano Karen Parks on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week." Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as "Women’s History Week." In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month." Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.”

As well continue to discuss phenomenal women throughout the month of March, please join Living Your Best Life in partnership with Mocha Market Magazine on Saturday, March 24, 2012 to hear Soprano Karen Parks share about her life, her musical career, her work with young performers and what keeps her inspired. She will also share about her upcoming performance at Lipscomb University. The Greenville, South Carolina native made her historic recording tribute to Harry T. Burleigh's body of work in Nashville. Nobody Knows: Songs of Harry T. Burleigh, co-produced by Parks and Grammy-winning producer David Macias, debuted at #2 on Billboard's Traditional Classical Album Chart upon its 2008 release. Karen Parks divinely given voice has been heard around the world.

Ms. Parks has performed in major opera houses and concert halls in many European countries including Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, England, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Hungary and Estonia. Her performances in America include debuts with recognized orchestras and conductors including Carnegie Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, The Kennedy Center, Meyerson Hall, San Francisco Opera, The Boston Pops and The Nashville Symphony. Other roles and works with various companies and orchestras include Verdi’s Requiem, Fauré’s Requiem, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Mahler’s Second Symphony, Dvořák’s Te Deum, Bach’s Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, Mařenka in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride, and the role of Harriet Tubman in two different operas (Harriet and Frederick Douglass). By special commission, she was the first artist to record an English language album (Nocturne) of Finnish classical music from Finnish poetry.

Living Your Best Life, a radio show that empowers inspires, and motivates one to live their BEST life, can be heard on 760 The Gospel in the Middle Tennessee region, Inspirational Networks, and military bases. Living Your Best Life is also streamed live on www.UStream.TV from 9-10AM CST.

More About Karen Parks' Lipscomb Performance
Soprano Karen Parks will perform along with Lipscomb University's Jerome Reed, the Patricia and Rodes Hart Chair in Piano as part of the Artist Series. Parks will perform works by Handel, Vivaldi, Mozart, Brahms, Faure, Puccini, Gershwin and a set of traditional spirituals arranged by Harry T. Burleigh.

Parks will conduct a Master Class on Friday, March 30, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. The soprano virtuoso will present a concert on Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. Both events will be held in Lipscomb University's Ward Hall. Tickets for Saturday's concert may be purchased online or at the door.

$15 adults, $10 students, Free with student ID.

Text INSPIRE to 99000 to win tickets to the concert, copies of Harry T. Burleigh's compositions, tickets to the Nashville Symphony, or a membership to the Frist Center.




(I would like to thank Honorable William J. Zick for his extensive research on www.africlassical.com that led me to spending hours studying such fascinating musician who stories must be told.