Zimbabwean Performance Artist, Educator and Creative Consultant
U-Meleni Mhlaba
(PRONOUCED “ OOH-MAY-LENNY) means “ What Are Waiting for?” in Ndebele
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U-MELENI is a multi-talented Zimbabwean Artist born in America, raised in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. She is an Actress, Activist-Educator and Performance Poet, Singer/Songwriter/Musician, who has been performing in Boston since 1996.She is also a model, self-taught guitarist, amateur photographer,
U-Meleni holds a Masters in Education with a concentration in Drama and Multicultural Learning, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Social Psychology from Lesley University and the University of Massachusetts respectively. Since picking up the microphone in College in the US, she has graced many stages with her powerful performances, soothing voice and profound lyrics. U-Meleni has been a featured poet/songstress in universities, clubs, venues and conferences from Harvard University to Wally’s Jazz café, WERS 88.9FM and HOT 97.7FtM to the Boston Opera House.
She has written and produced her debut CD of poetry & music (in English and Shona) entitled “Soul Psalms, Birth, Death, and Resurrection”( 2003). “Talk about atoms in a cyclotron. We became a magnetic field taking in her images…." Kay Bourne, Bay state Banner. The CD has been used as a teaching tool in schools, health departments and most recently the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.( 2006) Internationally, she has performed in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Portugal and Jamaica. She was an honored writer for her poem” Feelings are only temporary” featured in the University of Maine The Binnacle Literary Arts Magazine in the fall of 2005. In March 2006, her song/poem” Love is Not Supposed to Hurt” won the Inaugural Spoken Word Competition on American Idol Undergound.com and has been in rotation being among the top 50 Spoken word tracks.In 2007 She played one of the lead roles in Ya Ma.Afrika, TV series about 4 african women living in NYC aired internationally to awesome reviews.
YA MA AFRIKA TRAILER
YA MA AFRIKA BEHIND THE SCENES
EDUCATION & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Awarded a Certification of Appreciation by the BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION for her eight years of dedicated service to the youth of Boston. Using a creative and holistic approach, she has facilitated hundreds of workshops— for both mixed gender and single gender groups of girls and women ( all ages) — reaching them in the following settings:
• Middle and High Schools
• College/University and Student Groups ( international too)
• Community Centers and Youth Programs
• Health agencies and Non profits
U-Meleni “ Meleni” Mhlaba, M. Ed specializes in:
• Health and Wellness Education
• Youth Development
• Life Skills and Character Education
• Workshop facilitation and outreach to girls and women of color
• Creative Arts in Learning ( creative writing, drama, film, music, spoken-word)
• Academic advising & tutoring
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION: WORDS, MUSIC, THEATRE
U-Meleni has spent fourteen years honing her skills in Spoken word, which moved her effortlessly into the music scene first as a vocalist in the UMASS JAZZ BAND ( 1996-1997) and then onto becoming a songwriter, performer & musician ( acoustic guitar). She has performed in Boston and beyond.
WORDS
The Blessing-for E.L
my heart is full
being able to see you
grow
evolve
I was there when you were learning to dream
a daily meditation of desire
an inherent burning inside you to revolt and give birth to the creative you
and you were there
in my beginning
in the space before my beginning
when i was incoherent
and had dyslexic ideas in my mind
and were patient and supportive
and i began to learn how to speak my life into sound
and you hyphenated the phrases with images
and I was born
and it was done
our lives became splintered but not broken
the friendship real
love was honest
but was preparation for the MORE later
and I thank you
for that
for through the broken pieces
i glued a more interesting landscape
and found my KING
you did that for me
and I will always believe in rainbows
the way i believe in you
Amen.
MUSIC
JUlY 17, 2010 U-Meleni Live at the 1st African Festival in Boston City Hall Plaza
THEATRE
As an Actress she had worked under the direction of Jacqui Parker, Artistic Director of Our Place Theatre Company and winner of the Stagesource Hero Award.
She has also worked with Akiba Abaka, Director of Up You Mighty Race as a dialect coach for the play” In the Continuum”
Acting credits include working in television, film and documentary
Harlem Renaissance Revisited Madame CJ Walker Haywood Fennel Senior
OPT Fundraiser Performance Poet Our Place Theatre Company
Boston Opera House Performance Poet Our Place Theatre Company
African American Theatre Festival Narrator/Poet Our Place Theatre Company
FILM/Documentary
ACTRESS: 2010 A Calabash for my Sisters, Directed by Thato Mwosa
ACTRESS: 2007 Ya Ma'Afrika TV series,SaBantu Productions, Soundview.
INTERVIEWED ARTIST: 2007 An African in America Artist SaBantu Productions
INTERVIEWED ARTIST: 2002 Bless the Mic directed by Michael Holley/Tommy Upshaw
ACTRESS/WRITER & VOICE OVER: 2002 In My Mother’s House directed by Andrew Millington
In addition U-Meleni also provides creative consultation for non-profits or health programs looking to market or enhance their marketing and outreach initiatives using the Arts ( spoken word, etc) . Her particular specialties in this arena include:
• Planning and event planning
• hosting/emceeing and creative development
• Researching music or booking artists for shows
• Youth Programming development and workshop facilitation
Non-profit agencies that he has worked with in the past include:
Transition House,
Dimock Smartkids Program
DALLSS INC
Teen Voices,
Urban Scholars Program
Multicultural Aids Coalition
TEEP Program
HBNN
To learn about the artistic, educational, youth development and/health services that
U-Meleni can provide your organization, please visit the Contact page to send her a message.