VERBAL OASIS
Poet and artist Monique Franklin, also known as Verbal Oasis, hails from Seattle, Washington. She is a member of African American Writer's Alliance and is published in their latest anthology "Threads". She has published two volumes of poetry entitled “Acoustic Accolades” and “Erotic Annals of a Poet”. She also has released a live album of poetry accompanied by a 3-piece Jazz band entitled Acoustic Accolades Volume 1. She currently co-host and co-produces Afrodisiac Erotic Poetry Show Celebrating the Diversity and sexuality of People of Color (Afrodisiac Seattle on Facebook). The subject matter of her poetry stems from the rich spectrum of her life experiences. In 2014 she was selected for the 4Culture touring artist roster and the CD Forum's Creation Project. This woman is a creative soul. Monique is also the owner and operator of Inspired Child, an arts organization which has been providing arts events for youth and families since 2006. She has over 20 years of experience organizing and leading youth arts activities in variety of settings, such as, Schools, Community Centers, and outdoor parks. She views her art and her vocation as an educator as a vehicle for social change.
ARTISTS WEBSITE - WWW.VERBALOASIS.COM
LOCATION - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE
VIDEO - ARTSTUDIOPHOTOANDVIDEO
PHOTO - MARIA GRINCHUK
SOUND - MIKE JONSON
PRODUCERS - ELENA MAQUE AND D'VONNE LEWIS
GRETA MATASSA
Greta Matassa is an American jazz vocalist who has been a mainstay on Seattle's jazz stages for many years. With her recent tours of Russia, Singapore, Hawaii, and Japan, Greta's sound is now reaching new audiences. Greta has released seven CD's with jazz label Origin Records and a DVD live concert with guitarist Mimi Fox .
In the Pacific Northwest, where she built her career, Greta Matassa wins wide acclaim; four times, the readers of Earshot, the Seattle jazz magazine, have voted her the best jazz vocalist in the Northwest. Jim Wilke, the Seattle jazz maven and host of the syndicated "Jazz After Hours" radio program, praises her versatility. "She has a fearlessness in approaching material,” Wilke says, "that makes her like an instrumentalist in a jam session.”
ARTISTS WEBSITE - GRETA MATASSA
LOCATION - NORTH CITY BISTRO
VIDEO - ARTSTUDIOPHOTOANDVIDEO
PHOTO - MARIA GRINCHUK
SOUND - MIKE JONSON
PRODUCERS - ELENA MAQUE AND D'VONNE LEWIS
DJ LOURAWK
LouRawk is an eclectic mixture of new and old techniques that brings musicianship back to the turntables.
He is steadily making his mark in the Seattle DJ/turntablist community. As a born and bred musician, the walls of specific genres create no boundaries for LouRawk’s eclectic style. As a fervent believer of “loving everything about what you love” LouRawk’s taste satisfies anyone & everyone’s musical palette. Recently becoming the newest addition to the Fantasy League DJs squad, LouRawk is constantly finding new ways to evolve his craft.
ARTISTS WEBSITE - DJ LOURAWK
LOCATION - ALCHEMY WEST SEATTLE
VIDEO - ARTSTUDIOPHOTOANDVIDEO
PHOTO - MARIA GRINCHUK
SOUND - MIKE JONSON
PRODUCERS - ELENA MAQUE AND D'VONNE LEWIS
MARINA CHRISTOPHER AND THE DREAMBOATS
Marina Christopher is a versatile artist in the Seattle music scene who has been in high demand for her bass and vocal skills in the past few years.
MARINA AND THE DREAMBOATS is Marina's latest project where she writes and arranges to her heart's content for this army of a band where she sings, plays bass and leads the band.
ARTISTS WEBSITE - MARINA AND THE DREAMBOATS
LOCATION - DO THE EXTRAORDINARY
VIDEO - ARTSTUDIOPHOTOANDVIDEO
PHOTO - MARIA GRINCHUK
SOUND - MIKE JONSON
PRODUCERS - ELENA MAQUE AND D'VONNE LEWIS
ALEX DUGDALE
Meet our featured artist - Alex Dugdale performing a tap dance routine. The video is followed by Q&A with the artist.
ARTISTS WEBSITE - WWW.ALEXDUGDALE.COM
LOCATION - DOWNTOWN SEATTLE
VIDEO - ARTSTUDIOPHOTOANDVIDEO
PHOTO - MARIA GRINCHUK
SOUND - MIKE JONSON
PRODUCERS - ELENA MAQUE AND D'VONNE LEWIS
WHITNEY MONGÉ
Meet our featured artist - Whitney Mongé performing her song Stone. The video is followed by Q&A with the artist.
ARTISTS WEBSITE - WWW.WHITNEYMONGE.COM
LOCATION - DO THE EXTRAORDINARY
VIDEO - ARTSTUDIOPHOTOANDVIDEO
PHOTO - MARIA GRINCHUK
SOUND - MIKE JONSON
PRODUCERS - ELENA MAQUE AND D'VONNE LEWIS