Biography
"Anyone who complains that spoken-word poetry is boring and predictable hasn't heard Queen Sheba's Domino Affect …" –Creative Loafing "Bethsheba A. Rem's life is a wonderful example of how extreme adversity can produce compelling art. Her story reads like a gripping novel, complete with abandonment, betrayal and ultimately, triumph." – Rolling Out Magazine Queen ShebaThe Below the Radar TourOfficial Press Kit for the 2007-08 Performance YearQuotes:"Queen Sheba is a dynamic performer…."- Nikki...
"Anyone who complains that spoken-word poetry is boring and predictable hasn't heard Queen Sheba's Domino Affect …" –Creative Loafing "Bethsheba A. Rem's life is a wonderful example of how extreme adversity can produce compelling art. Her story reads like a gripping novel, complete with abandonment, betrayal and ultimately, triumph." – Rolling Out Magazine Queen ShebaThe Below the Radar TourOfficial Press Kit for the 2007-08 Performance YearQuotes:"Queen Sheba is a dynamic performer…."- Nikki Giovanni“Bethsheba A. Rem’s life is a wonderful example of how extreme adversity can create compelling art…” - Rolling Out Magazine ‘07“… Brighton (England) is still in shock from a stunning Sheba performance, capping a great night with us at Hammer and Tongue…”- Sam, largest UK Slam Venue Owner/Promoter“…A walking piece of art…” – A woman in Kroger “Amazing!” – Anyone who sees herDid you know that Queen Sheba…?… is the Spoken Word expert for Red Bull North America? (for the geographically challenged, that does include Canada!)… ‘s performance in the Netherlands, October ’07, will make her 3rd UK tour?… is the only poet with 3 music videos?… is in, Spit, a movie highlighting the lives of Spoken Word artists?… hates folding clothes after doing the laundry?... ‘s favorite food group is chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream?… has shared the stage with over 50 major recording artists?… has held political positions with the Fair Trade Commission and the NationalOrganization for Women?Who’s on, Domino Affect, the 5th album by Queen Sheba?!…shame on you! You’ll have to get a copy to find out like everyone else! Let’s just say, there are 4 Grammy nominated soul artists, 1 Music Video Award nominee, and 1 Tony Award winning artist just to name a few… In short: 60 seconds or less Think you can’t get diversity, sexy, soul, world music, exciting, entertaining, sassy, classy and intelligent all in one package?! You must not have met Queen Sheba!Even before Queen Sheba was named one of the #1 Ranked Poets in the World, as of the recent National Poetry Slam Team win August 11th 2007 in Austin, TX a veteran member of the Slam Charlotte National Poetry Slam Team, she hasn’t (and won’t) stopped moving.Other artists may have frequented the television market numerous times, which would employ any average viewer to assume those artists are the Alpha and Omega of the Spoken Word community. Well, there is a lot to be said for behind the scenes. Somebody has to write the script, the score, the commercials, right?! Just because you don’t see her, means she’s probably working…From Ghana to Compton, from coffee house to concert halls, from night clubs to coliseums, Queen Sheba has taught and performed in 8 countries and 3 Continents; Including appearances in Cuba, PanaFest in Ghana, West Africa, Winner of the 4 Nations International Team Slam Champion-Oxford England, performing for the troops on the US Air Force base in K-Town Germany and a teaching residency at the University of Ill, Urbana-Champaign.Recently paired up, no pun intended, with a major shoe company to bring Poetry Slams to 5 major cities, earlier this summer Queen Sheba has released two new music videos, (that’s right! Spoken Word artists are doing music videos! You better catch up!) was selected to perform for the Rolling Stone’s 500 Songs for Kids campaign, Sheba also was picked to be the 2007 BET Lyric Café’s Featured Poet, works recently nominated for the NAACP Image Award as a part of the Check The Rhyme anthology from Lit Noire Publishing in Nyc and 2006's Just Plain Folk's Spoken Word Album of the Year; That’s just the first half of 2007! In Stores-Online –Out the Trunk: While just releasing two new music videos to BET, VH-1 Soul and MTV UK, Domino Affect, Sheba's highly anticipated, recently released 5th album, whispers surprise appearances by, unexpected multi-platinum recording artists and other artists Too Good for Mainstream, was released Sept 8th 2007 , Domino Affect, and any one of her 4 previous albums can be heard and downloaded by millions on any mass media outlet, including, iTunes, Sunday Night Talks with Chuck D, XM Radio, from the Morning show with the Supreme Team on Clear Channel, your local Hip-Hop and alternative stations to classic jazz and world wide internet radio.Without a place for Spoken Word artists to call home, the Queen did want most geniuses do, invent a way. Her ambition earned her the tenured CEO position of Oya Xclusive International a record label for poets; boasting 6 albums, a 7-year event planning and consulting company, organizer and co-founder of Akoben: Words-In-ActionInternational Music and Poetry Festival. Rewarded for their commitment to the community, Akoben has been ranked as one of the top 10 world fusion festivals to visit. Top honors include New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin as he declared every 2nd weekend in October, officially: Akoben Weekend.Notably one of the hardest working and more business savvy artists Below the Radar, Queen Sheba partnered with multifaceted event planners and introduced the Twisted Tongue Poetry and Concert series to Atlanta late 2006 with all sold out shows to boot. This premiere adult event has artists and eager audience members buying tickets and booking flights from across the country months in advance.Sheba's literary training has landed her a feature in Rolling Out Atlanta, this April, and she previously won the VA Individual Artist Fellowship Award, has been published in Essence, Vibe, The Syracuse University Anthology "Home girls make some noise", The Southern Griot University of South Florida, Skipping Stones Anthology of HamptonRoads Poets 4-years running a plethora of online interviews, websites and journals. One of Queen Sheba’s favorite quotes is “I’m a genius!” When asked who she quoted she said, herself. Yes, Queen Sheba has befriended and performed with numerous multi-platinum recording artists, however, we have a strong feeling her name is not in their bios either.One of the most dynamic artists in industry Queen Sheba does, consistently, what the average artist pines over; Deliver. Colleges& Universities~~~ Extreme Partial Listing ~~~Amherst 2xs for Voices for the Voiceless Poetry ConcertBirmingham Community CollegeBloomington Ill, Regional College Bowie State –Opened for FloetryChicago StateClark AtlantaDavidson College – Charlotte, NC Duke University 2xsFrome England w/workshop part of a performance seriesGA State Hampton – multiple appearancesHowardJames Madison UniversityJohnson and Wales – MiamiLongwood College 4xsMary Grove College – Detroit, MIMore House – multiple appearancesMorgan StateNorfolk State - multiple appearances Old Dominion University – multiple appearancesRhodes College Spelman CollegeSW Community Center for ChildrenSweet Briar CollegeTemple UniversityThomas Nelson Community CollegeTidewater Community Colleges: Chesapeake , Norfolk, VA BeachU of DCUniversity of Ill, Champaign UrbanaUniversity of Kentucky –The K Women’s Writers Conference ‘05University of MassUniversity of Memphis University of MichiganUniversity of OhioUniversity of RochesterUniversity of VAVA StateVA WesleyanWestern Carolina UniversityWilliam and MaryYale…and the beat goes on….Conferences and Seminars(7 years and running) Co-Founder of Akoben Int’l Words –n- Action Music & Poetry Festiva in New Orleansl, Mayor Ray Nagin deemed every 2nd weekend in October to be Akoben Weekend for New OrleansTake Back the Night – two time Keynote Speaker Furious Flower – James Madison University Gwendolyn Brooks Writers Conference NICOSTY Conference for Teachers and Social Workers 2 time speakerMothers against the War marchAFRAM Festival Norfolk, VA multiple performer and hostHost of National Black Family Day DCSister Fire! DC Black August: Atlanta & New OrleansWord Up! International Poetry Festival - FounderU of Kentucky Women’s writers ConferenceCaucus for Negro Women DCEthiopian Embassy AIDS –lecture/performanceTelevision and Radio 2007 BET’s Lyric Café Featured Poet2007 Fox NewsBBC -England106 & Park BETAmateur Night at the ApolloTurner South – My South Commercial News Channel 3 *Norfolk, VA WJLH - LASpoken – The Black Family Channel Da’ Poet’s JointThe Cyphers’ CornerCafé Nuba The Fix on FXThe Poet’s DrumPublications:Nominated for NAACP Image Award for participation in the Anthology Check the Rhyme from Lit Noire Publishing, Nyc2007 National Poetry Feature for Rolling Out MagazineVirginia Fellowship Winner for an individual artist Essence Magazine Vibe Magazine South Florida University’s: Southern Griot Chesapeake Bay Poet’s Anthology 2004- present National Poetry Slam Anthology 2005Portfolio Weekly Magazine Cover StoryWord Magazine MO Spoken Vizions Magazine Cover Story 9-Volt Magazine The Virginia-Pilot multiple appearances Albums and Books2006 Los Angeles, CA Just Plain Folks Album of Year for Spoken Word for ‘Get Familiar’ disc 2Newly released! w/Surprise platinum recording artists….5th album Domino Affect 2007Awarded Book Serge book deal ‘05The Lioness Awakes Hungry –ChapbookPoetry does not Belong to You – ChapbookIn the womb-An Array of Thoughts –ChapbookI’tche I’llam – Spring ’07 paper backTurning Black at 20 –Spring ’09 autobiographyI confess… -1st album 10/01The Message 2nd album 6/02The Truth 3rd album 6/03Get Familiar 4th album (double) 7/05International Performances:Accra, Ghana – West AfricaPanafest International Music FestivalCuba – StudyToronto, CanadaCannes, FranceParis, FranceEdinburgh, ScotlandFrome, EnglandLondon, EnglandMunich, GermanyKysaslouter, GermanyOxford, England Available Workshops, Seminars & Lectures by Queen Sheba:Voted two of the best freelance work-shops in the country!A. 2003 Turning Black @ 20What it’s like growing up bi-racial in a white run world. What boxes do you check for a survey? How do you chose sides? Do you chose sides? Who is your loyalty to? Imagine what it is like to grow up bi-racial and adopted to an all white family. You think you represent one race but you are not sure. Children are not born prejudice they are taught it. This workshop addresses the challenges of accepting multiracial ethnicity in the household and creating positive avenues of expression, public arenas and support facilities in the local area. This workshop also addresses how to educate children about their culture and how not to pick racial sides. Attendees discuss how to heal from self hate, how not to blame parents or anyone for creating a decision for the multi-racial person. Here, we give equal political and social empowerment as well as controversial information on all races in the discussion. This is an empowerment session.B. The History of Women in Politics Throughout Her-story, women have been lost between the pages of the his-story books, lending us only a line or two about the support to the men they serve. Hundreds of women are responsible for some of the most memorable parts of our lineage of politics. Women have hidden between the crumpled pages of his-story waited to be validated by the men we support. It is time to emerge from the pages and stand at the forefront of the very offices we fight to liberate. Our names will be removed from the administrative assistant’s name plate and begin to replace the gold plated partners plates on the front of the buildings and the executives doors! This workshop is to guide the personal and develop the political. For a full list of workshops check out Queen Sheba’s website: www.queensheba.org © All workshops copyrights of Oya Xclusive International 2001-2007 What are your options when you are 13, hate what you see in the mirror and already contemplating suicide? At age 7, I started a journal. At 15, after being expelled from school, my adopted-parents sent me off to a youth home, one of three that I would ultimately attend. The journals never ceased. I carried them with me even when I was being shuffled from house to house, hiding from petafiles and running from truant officers. Even when I lost everything else, the journals were my salvation, my refuge, my way to stay alive...my sanity. Years later in college, I fused my love for the stage with my story telling ability and met Spoken Word. I decided to do what thousands of others did be“for”e me; create a platform for the voiceless.Today, 10-years later, Spoken Word has honored me with 5 award-winning albums, multiple Poetry Slam champion titles, countless national and international performances, co-founder of “Akoben” the 1st International Spoken Word & Music Festival for people of color honored by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin as he declared every 2nd weekend in October as “Akoben” Day. Most importantly, the means to share my tragedy to triumph story to millions of people around the world, so they too will carry with them what I learned: I may not have known my parents, my family, or my roots but I know God and I was deemed Queen long before I arrived. I just had to listen. Queen ShebaSpoken Word ArtistAtlanta
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