Not Just Country Newsletter article on IAYAALIS

I get a call.

"Hypeman, can we meet so I can share with you what I have going on these days?"

"Yeah,” I said, “by the way - who is this?"

It was IAYAALIS.

We met one evening and we talked for hours.

I'll tell you this much, she's on a different plain of life. 

She has different personalities that truly help her in her creativity. 

Her self-titled CD "IAYAALIS- I Am You Are And Love IS...!" 

which dropped March 2011 is a fusion of hip-hop, poetry, love and mental stimulation.  
I Am You Are And Love IS...! has a real 90's feel like Tribe Called Qwest, Brand Nubian, along with Digable Planets. IAYAALIS’ mission when talking is all about self-awareness on all levels.

I did mention she was an artist right?
IAYAALIS is a phenomenal visual artist. I mean, downright INCREDIBLE!

 

~ Tree of Life / Sylvia

by IAYAALIS Kali-Ma'at ELOAI / Donalda A. Chandler

She also hosts a weekly I Am You Are And Love IS Variety Show for music and visual artists held at the Nashville Social Exchange on Fridays, and was just nominated for 2011 NIMA Best R&B Female Artist Award where you can still go vote!

Congratulations on all your success IAYAALIS.

Hope to see you on the next planet!

~Hypeman Rick

The NJC Newsletter is for your information about events that are going on in the Middle Tennessee area and across the country with some of Nashville's artists. Our goal is to get people out and see what new and great talent Music City has to offer and to let our out of town readers know when Nashville artists are in their area. We extend out thank yous to all that support the newsletter. We pride ourselves by letting people know that Nashville is "NOT JUST COUNTRY".

THANK YOU! ~ 2011 NIMA Nomination

wow~

THANKS to ALL who nominated me for

the 2011 NIMA Best R&B Female Artist Award this year!

i appreciate All the love & support, y'all - i truly do...!

;)

♥

~i.

IAYAALIS Kali-Ma'at ELOAI

* album launched & released *

 The  I Am You Are And Love IS...! album
is
* Here & NOW *
Officially
launched & released!

The  I Am You Are And Love IS...! album
Officially launched & released!

http://kunaki.com/Sales.asp?PID=PX00ZKLCHP

"He that hears let him hear, and he that understandeth let him understand"

~Matthew 11:15

"He who hears ~ let him hear!

She who speaks ~ let her speak!

They who have sight ~ may they see here and now...!"

~IAYAALIS Kali-Ma'at ELOAI / Donalda Antonia Chandler

  it has been years in the making, y'all~

but it's finally here...!

I AM

so joyously grateful, honored, and pleased to present

this completed collection of musical work for All to hear.

i Give Thanks for All the love and support.

-&-

i pray you find my creaitive work and WordLife

truly inspiring and entertaining.

~i.

Purchase

your copy of the

  new IAYAALIS album:

I Am You Are And Love IS...!
~TODAY~

Click here to buy my CD.

http://kunaki.com/Sales.asp?PID=PX00ZKLCHP

THANK YOU
for All your love and support...!

~i.

the name

 

by

IAYAALIS

http://soundcloud.com/iayaalis/the-name

the name

the queenz - the kingz - the earths - the godz
the sun - the moon - the stars - the odds
like seven or eleven doubled in digital time
the here - the now - the heart - the mind
the wisdom - the womb - the silver dollar - the dime
the worth - the respect - the rep - the rhyme
the hope - the hustle - the hard-knocks - the dues
the prayer to The Most High just make it through
i rise - i fall - i riddle - i reason
the answer - the question - the phases - the seasons
the fake - the waste - the real - the worth
the choice and consequence - the death - the rebirth
the math - the path - the talk - the walk
the hold - the fold - the step outside'a ya' box
the truth is - the truth hurts - but the truth lives
the love will - whenever you ain't - love is
the quiet - the riot the sit-in - the stand
the holy book - the bomb - the bullet - the black man
the whirlwind of garvey - the fro of davis
this middle-finger -whut?!- to any and all haters
the devil - the system - the powers that be
the chase for the paper - the struggle to be free
the power to manifest my own destiny
the birthright - the claim - the name = I.A.Y.A.A.L.IS

I AM - YOU ARE - AND LOVE IS – the name: IAYAALIS

the artist - the hunger - the vision - the drive
the skill - the real - the raw - the shine
the boom - the tic - the voice over the beat
the underground heat - take'n it to the street
the independent - the majors - the sign - the seal
the units - the ratings - the contract - the deal
the hook - the gimmick: "get rich or die!"
the fall of our culture - the televised lie
the wheelz - the spinn'n - the ice - the bling
the envy - the children - the life - the dream
the game - the playa - the fiend - the fix
the hood - the rich - the reality missed
the stasis - the dis-ease - the tension - the bleed
the understand'n behind the smoke'n of trees
the work - the weary - the routine - the bore
the need for balance - the desire for more
the who - the how - the suspense of when
the need to end up better than where i begin
the pennies in the pot - the paycheck - the patience
the test of my every wit - the wait'n
the deep - the keep - the faith - the leap
the victory - the defeat - the strong - the weak
the seed - the message - the birthright claimed
I.A.Y.A.A.L.IS = the name - the word became

I AM - YOU ARE - AND LOVE IS – the name: IAYAALIS


~ IAYAALIS Kali-Ma'at ELOAI / Donalda Antonia Chandler
publishing & copyright: MuthaQueen Cyphr Music [BMI]

Introducing
IAYAALIS - Part 1: 'the name'

Names are important because they symbolize who we are, and are an expression of our identity. In the case of Nashville-based emcee, singer, poet, and spiritualist IAYAALIS, understanding her name is critical to understanding who she is, what she is about, and why she does what she does.

It’s been said that nothing sounds as sweet to any person as the sound of her own name.
Names are important because they symbolize who we are. They offer an expression of our identity. The sound of a name sends a vibration that resonates within, calling us to attention. Traditionally, the meaning of the name implies the character and attributes of the individual, something to live up to. In the case of Nashville-based emcee, singer, poet, and spiritualist IAYAALIS, understanding her name is critical to understanding who she is, what she is about, and why she does what she does. “The name IAYAALIS is an acronym that stands for I Am You Are And Love IS,” she says. “Basically it’s a formula by which I live.”

Born Donalda Antonia Chandler, IAYAALIS has earned recognition (i.e. “made a name for herself”) as one of the most talented and versatile artists on the Nashville music scene. She’ll release her debut album I Am You Are And Love IS…! in March 2011. “I’ve done a lot of research into metaphysics and different belief systems… all types of cultures and religions,” she told the Nashville Scene. “The one thing that they all hold as true, the one thing I saw in all of them is, ‘I am, you are, and love is,’ with love being the all-being, whether you call that God or Goddess or father or spirit or Allah or whatever.”  The first single from I Am You Are And Love IS…! fittingly is “the name”. “The song ‘the name’ is an expression of all the various things that comprise my world. It’s about the things that I’m attentive to, and that I resonate with, and that are real to me in my world.”

www.IAYAALIS.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLEh3iY9N7A
www.youtube.com/IAYAALIS
http://kunaki.com/Sales.asp?PID=PX00ZKLCHP

4/15/11 - IAYAALIS exhibits visual artwork @ Art Nouveau

http://www.iayaalis.com/2011/03/41511-iayaalis-exhibits-visual-artwork.html

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=267353&id=567330628

Art Nouveau -

"A fresh, lush artistic experience"

Time: Friday, April 15 · 8:30pm - 11:30pm

Location: BB Kings Blues Bar - Nashville Tennessee

152 2nd Avenue North

Nashville, TN

Created By: Mike TheProducer Harris, Winterbourne LaPucelle Jones, Kelly Dion


More Info: "Artisan Walnut", "Sun Baked Terra-Cotta", "Pale Honey", and "Oregano Spice"; All are the colors that describe the palette on which this event is designed. Art Nouveau is where classic-touches and elegant-comfort meet modern-form in order to create a fresh, lush artistic experience like no other. This is not your ordinary poetry set! Art Nouveau is designed to offer an experience like no other in Nashville. Art Nouveau offers live Spoken Word from some of Nashville's best-known and up-and-coming artists. Sit back and relax while you listen to the smooth and funky music of Dan's Damn Band; all while being surrounded by works of art created by local artists. Mix and mingle while you enjoy all that is offered, complimented by a full bar. 3Brothers assures you that this is one event that you don't want to miss! Purchase your tickets today!


for more info
call: 615-482-1029
or email: 3BROTHERSEEP@gmail.com


Purchase tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/
or
call 1-800-838-3006


Part of the proceeds will be donated to The Color of Autism.
This organization is committed to raising public awareness about autism spectrum disorders and devoted to empowering families and lessening their isolation. They are dedicated to ensuring that all people with autism receive appropriate, effective services to maximize their growth potential and to enhance the general public's awareness of autism. Visit them at http://www.thecolorofautism.org/

The ReBirth of Black

http://www.iayaalis.com/2011/03/rebirth-of-black.html

NBAR

Nashville Black Artist Renaissance

REBIRTH OF BLACK

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DN&Dato=20110303&Kategori=LIFE01&Lopenr=103030806&Ref=PH

'The Rebirth of Black'

showcases local African-American artists

6:27 PM, Mar. 3, 2011

Written by Claudia Pinto

Rain Blessings by James Threalkill is among the works included in The Rebirth of Black showcase, which will be on display Saturday at the Ha Factory Gallery & Lounge downtown, coinciding with the First Saturday Art Crawl.

Filed Under: Entertainment - Entertainment Arts & Culture
Related Links: The Rebirth of Black

Betty Turney-Turner's fascination with stained glass dates back to when she was a little girl attending church. She admits that plenty of times she paid more attention to the stained glass windows than to the message being delivered.


"I loved the way the sun would make the colors land on the pews," she says. "It was alive. There was movement in it."


Today Turney-Turner is one of a small handful of artists in the United States who depict African-American experiences in stained glass. Her images range from soulful jazz bassists to African women balancing baskets of fruit on their heads.


Her work, along with 11 other local artists, will be on display Saturday at the Ha Factory Gallery & Lounge downtown as part of the inaugural Rebirth of Black artist showcase. The event, which will coincide with the First Saturday Art Crawl, is being organized by the Nashville Black Artists Renaissance 12, a cooperative that aims to showcase the talents of area African-American artists.


Jeff Obafemi Carr, a commissioner with the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, says it's difficult to find large collections of African-American art in Nashville, and he says he hopes this show will help fill that void.


"To my knowledge, there hasn't been a coming-together of this level in a couple of decades," says Carr, who isn't involved with the show. "There is a whole lot of talent here. It's operated off of the radar of the mainstream. I've seen some of the artists' work, and it will make you angry if you don't have money to buy it."


The artist showcase will feature 36 pieces, in mediums ranging from watercolor, oil, acrylic and airbrush painting to stained glass and photography.


Among the works will be pieces by James Threalkill, an artist who works primarily in oils and acrylics. Threalkill has won an Emmy for a mural that he produced with children from the Edgehill public housing community for Viacom cable network. He illustrated a children's book series called Visions: African-American Experiences that was featured on Sesame Street. And his painting Gulf Coast Sunset was seen in the Disney movie Snow Dogs.


While much of the artwork reflects African-American experiences, Threalkill says the show will appeal to everyone.


"African-American art is undergoing a rebirth," Threalkill says. "It's starting to be collected by a very diverse group across the country. More and more people are seeing the beauty in the work that we're creating. And I think parents are really trying to expose their children to the reality of the multicultural world that we live in."


Artwork in the show ranges in price from $150 to several thousand dollars. Twenty-five percent of sales will go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, an organization that links children in need with adult mentors.


 Nashville's 'hidden treasures'


Nashville has a rich history of African-American artists.


Aaron Douglas — known as the father of African-American art and a major player in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s — founded Fisk University's fine arts department and taught there for nearly 30 years. Several of his murals can be seen in Cravath Hall on Fisk's campus.


Folk artist William Edmondson was the first African-American artist to be featured in a solo show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1937. Some of the Nashville native's sculptures can be seen at the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art.


Turney-Turner says she hopes the show will make people realize that rich history is still alive and well in the city.


"People should come out and see the hidden treasures that Nashville has had walking among them all the time," she says. "There are quite a few really talented artists that really don't have an outlet and aren't well-known." She says she hopes the show will provide an outlet for those artists.


And this is just the beginning. The cooperative plans to host similar artist showcases every quarter, with the eventual goal of monthly exhibitions. "The ultimate goal would be to have a permanent place to display," Turney-Turner says. "A place to nurture young artists and grow the art community."

Contact features reporter Claudia Pinto at 615-259-8277 or cpinto@tennessean.com.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110304/ENTERTAINMENT05/103040320/-Rebirth-Black-showcases-local-African-American-artists

“Men commonly think according to their inclinations,
speak according to their learning and imbibed opinions,
but generally act according to custom” ~Francis Bacon, Sr.

6 COMMENTS:


Carlton - 1:44 PM on March 4, 2011
Would this liberal rag run an article about "The Rebirth of White", which showcased local European-American artists? I think we all know the answer to that. When will the hypocrisy and double standards end? Why isn't it racist to harp about "Black"? We all know if this was reversed it would be considered racist. Why the difference?


1 reply - damyth - 2:47 PM on March 4, 2011
Carlton....you are correct to a point. Also ask the question why "black" artist are not included in art shows showcasing european-americans. Oddly no one questions Chinese, Italian, British, Korean, Mexican or any other nationality when it comes to labeling an art form, dining experience or even race!


artsfour - 6:51 PM on March 4, 2011
I have to agree with Carlton. I live in a neighborhood where I am the minority and in eight years I have lived here, have never been invited to join any artists groups since I am white. I am a teacher in the public school and teach at a title one school and have taught here in Nashville for over ten years. This is a double standard. I do back alley work and trash pick up and have done a few murals for free. I applaud these artists but don't think the quality of the product is specific to race. I think we need to appreciate and learn from each other. I am glad that my teacher friends that are white and black don't mind teaching whatever child that arrives. I moved here thinking it would be an open minded community and that I might have something to offer. I have taught free art lessons the entire time I have lived here. I have my own non profit group called, ArtsAlive and base the most of my approach to services through the concept of sharing. I have met wonderful people here where I live and I love my students and appreciate their gifts and talents.
The issue with blacks that I do applaud is that they are not in the back ground waiting to be welcomed into the arts of all sorts. They have proven themselves, and have much to be proud of and offer to the community. Their claim to fame is not the exclusion of the rest of our citys population.


TamaSC15 - 1:52 AM on March 5, 2011
I too can relate to the eye pleasing & thought stimulating effect of stained glass art. Life seems to be infused into it when the sun radiates through. What a talent to be blessed by our Creator with what enables a person , (being made in God's image as we all are), to illustrate life's moments so vivdly w/materials such as colored glass, solder and such.I very much enjoyed Claudia Pinto's descriptive and engaging article up to the point where her focus became , (and unfortunately remained), aimed towards a person's skin color ie. "Nashville Black Artists 12", African American Art, African American experiences, etc... It is commendable the Big Brother and Big Sister organizations should benefit from contributions made by those who create with their talents and gifts.
I would submit however, on behalf of our talented artists of all race and heritage backgrounds that each artist would have their efforts appraised, valued, or simply appreciated, based soley on the merit of the art alone, be it stained glass, music, writtings...
It is most dissapointing to regard the art work refferenced by Ms. Pinto in the context of the color of the artist's skin,as she does a great injustice to the artists themselve's,as well as perpetuating an unflattering and distracting observation of the art mentioned in her article as if race or skin color has anything to do with the worth or appreciation of the artist's creative ability.
I dare to extend myself further on behalf of these talented individuals (and of all races and heritage), by simply saying they want their art, their works of creative and self expression, to be valued for what IT is, not what THEY are.
If an outlet is going to be provided (as Ms. Pinto states in her article), that outlet should exclude NO artist, (especially an exclusion based on skin color or heritage) for ALL talented artists who aren't "well known".
Yes Ms. Pinto, "A place to nurture young artists and grow the art community&q


mwm2651 - 10:50 AM on March 5, 2011
such a ridiculous double standard. Why can we have a rebirth of all artists.


CSWYGal797 - 10:03 PM on March 5, 2011
One thing this article didn't point out very well is that this event was part of a larger Art Crawl held every Saturday. There are at least half a dozen art galleries along this stretch of 5th Ave North and many kinds of mediums and artists are displayed in the various buildings. This particular gallery was featuring African-American artists, but there were many others in the other locations. On a side note, as a Big Sister, I'd like to thank them for contributing some of the proceeds to our program. It would be great if the entire Art Crawl would consider supporting a charity each month!

http://www.tennessean.com/comments/article/20110304/ENTERTAINMENT05/103040320/-Rebirth-Black-showcases-local-African-American-artists

IAYAALIS performs OFF THE GRID...!!!

IAYAALIS

performs

at the Castle Braid Artist Community venue

on Thursday March 5, 2011 @ 8PM
OFF THE GRID
presents
Women's Month
All Female Hip-Hop Showcase
in NYC!
~an event highlighting Women in Hip-Hop and covered by The Source Magazine~

www.CASTLEBRAID.com/

"Castle Braid is a new housing development with a twist - it has donated the ground floor of its 146-room complex to the Brooklyn Artillery... but in addition will provide residents with art spaces, a library where they can check out community books, a courtyard which will screen films and experimental pieces, a proposed food co-op and farmers market shared with the neighborhood, community classes offered by residents, a shared garden on the roof, and best of all, affordable housing to artists in a rapidly gentrifying area...
The creative masterminds behind the space got involved with the project to see Castle Braid develop with,
rather than against, the community"

~ flavorwire

An Artful Way to Rent Apartments
~The New York Times

In the parking lot behind Castle Braid, a new rental complex in Bushwick, Brooklyn, BMWs and Volvos sit beside murals by local graffiti legends like Jesus Saves and Robots Will Kill.


The luxury cars are something of an anomaly in Bushwick, the working-class neighborhood to the east of Williamsburg that is New York’s current locus of bohemianism. Apartments at Castle Braid, named for a trimmings factory once on the site, have soaking tubs, energy-efficient appliances and Italian cabinetry. Monthly rents range from $1,700, for one-bedrooms, to $3,300 for three-bedrooms, in an area where struggling artists roost in unconverted lofts.


Drawing on Bushwick’s cachet, Castle Braid is being marketed by its developer, Mayer Schwartz, as “a world custom-built to enable the artist,” and is aimed at art lovers willing to pay Williamsburg prices to live in an area sorely lacking in both trees and retail. The graffiti murals were commissioned by Mr. Schwartz as part of Brooklyn Artillery, a six-week art fair/open house last fall that converted the 125 then-vacant apartments into temporary galleries.


The tactic appears to be working on both fronts: only two units remain to be filled, and tenants say they are trying to realize Mr. Schwartz’s vision of an artists’ utopia.


“I relate to Mayer’s desire to create a family of people here,” said Khalil Chishtee, 46, a Pakistani sculptor. Last winter Mr. Chishtee decorated the parking lot gate with a metallic collage based on the novel “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” — in which the Castle Braid factory figures prominently — after Mr. Schwartz had given him a copy of the book.


Mr. Schwartz, who also developed the Bedford Avenue miniature mall (in a former girdle factory) and the 66-unit Opera House Lofts (in a former German singing hall in Bushwick) is trying to compensate for a lack of local amenities by providing them all in one place.


Castle Braid’s U-shaped layout accommodates a recording studio, a screening room, a gym, a media lab, rentable video equipment and a lending library with more than 1,500 books and 300 DVDs — all cataloged on the building’s private social networking site. Mr. Schwartz plans to install a metal shop, a coffee bar and a ceramics studio complete with a $5,000 kiln.


Though some have called his use of art a ploy to sell apartments, Mr. Schwartz says that making a place for people to grow and enjoy themselves far outweighs any financial incentives. “A kiln is not such a big expense if it’s going to make people happy,” he said.


Castle Braid’s marketing director, Taylor Clark, a 25-year-old skateboarder and comedian who lives in another of Mr. Schwartz’s buildings, has organized a 48-Hour Short Film Festival (the winners — both residents — won six months’ rent) and a weekly comedy show with performers like Reggie Watts, who recently toured with Conan O’Brien.


Before committing to a year’s rent on a $2,500-a-month duplex, Helmut Kohli, a Swiss artist, spent weeks wandering the space. One night in February, Mr. Kohli, 49, lit the tree-filled 6,000-square-foot courtyard with 1,500 candles and a six-story torch while a number of tenants, among them a violinist for the New York Philharmonic, played Classical music.


But blurring the line between art gallery and private residences has its perils. In early June, Jinkyung Chong, an installation artist and tenant, received Mr. Schwartz’s blessing to curate a show in the lobby as part of Bushwick Open Studios. That was when a graphic nude photograph by Rafael Fuchs (titled “Nude Megillah #1” and priced at $1,800) disturbed one tenant, a mother of two young children, who eventually removed the work herself, damaging the print. Mr. Fuchs has threatened to sue Mr. Schwartz, claiming the piece is worth over $7,200.


“I told him it was wrong what he’s doing, but that I loved him anyway, as I love the whole world,” Mr. Schwartz said. But he is requiring curators to discuss any provocative art with him beforehand and sign a document stipulating that work found offensive by tenants will be removed within 24 hours.


And Mr. Schwartz admits that the cost of living at Castle Braid is out of the reach of most up-and-coming artists. “It was more intended for mature artists who have gotten somewhere in their careers,” he said.


Not everyone at Castle Braid is an artist. But “because of how we designed it,” Mr. Schwartz said, “we pulled in people who are passionate about art and want to contribute.”


Accordingly, Castle Braid, like a cutting-edge gallery opening in Chelsea, has attracted its share of young people for whom art is often a pretext for socializing. “It’s like a college dorm for me,” Jensen Lee, 20, a recent film school graduate, said in reference to the numerous in-house parties posted on the complex’s self-contained networking site.


“People ask me where I made all my friends,” said Ms. Lee, whose roommate at Castle Braid is Barry Hollywood, a 50-year-old fashion photographer. “I’m like: ‘My building. Aren’t you friends with the people in your building?’ And they’re like, ‘No.’ ”

New Music: Iayaalis “The Name” | The Fembassy

New Music: Iayaalis “The Name” The Fembassy

Give Thanks!

- as a self-proclaimed 'Emissary of The Divine Feminine' -

i am Truly honored to be acknowledged on this site...!

~here's to 'Woman Power'...!!!~

;)

...♥

~i.

IAYAALIS Kali-Ma'at ELOAI / Donalda Antonia Chandler