Harmonies converge in weekend of wows
Jim Knippenberg, Cincinnati Enquirer - 08/18/05
Abiyah: Criss-crossing genres right and left - hip-hop, rock, electronica, industrial - Abiyah is one of Cincinnati's busiest and most popular performers. Famous for her poetry, she often mixes in a healthy dose of spoken word in her high energy performances.
Moms rock kids' worlds
C.E. Hanifin, Cincinnati Enquirer - 05/08/05
On the local scene, musical mothers can be spotted at the area's playgrounds by day, clutching their drumsticks in one hand and a juice box in the other. At night, you can spy them at clubs all over the area, where they alternate between wailing into a microphone and ducking backstage with their cell phones to check in with the sitter.
Some rock moms, such as Hauser and Cheek, were rocking the stage long before they began rocking a cradle. Others, like local cross-genre artist Abiyah, took up music after they became parents.
Abiyah, decided to set her rhymes to a beat three years ago. The Clifton woman sat down with her son, Zeque Walker, to discuss the time commitment she would need to make, and explain why pursuing her creative goals was important.
"I decided that, in order to spend as much time as possible with Zeque, I had to make him a part of my musical life," she says.
Zeque, a student at the School for Creative and Performing Arts, recently wrote the music to one of Abiyah's lyrical compositions, "Lipstick," and he's performed with his mom twice at the Vans Warped Tour. He isn't gunning for a rock career, though; he'd rather take his talent to Broadway.
Chicks keep festival rockin'
C.E. Hanifin, Cincinnati Enquirer - 04/11/05
Abiyah and Hungry Lucy. Electronically-based music sometimes casts a chill over live audiences. But these two local artists, who played on Friday and Saturday, respectively, seamlessly incorporated electronic elements into sets that pulsed with warmth.
Cincinnati musician Abiyah debuted "Fighter Jet Setter" at the Southgate House Friday night. Her powerful vocals and cross-genre fluidity were festival highlights.
Funky goddess Abiyah floors me with her incredible stage presence. Her forceful rhymes flow with wit and soul, and she's the only female performer I can think of who can still get away with using the word "bootylicious." Hollywood and Stoltz, who started their days much earlier than I did, call it a night after Abiyah's set reaches a crescendo with a fierce admonition to "Wake Up," enhanced by DJ DQ's emphatic beats.
Catch 22 - A summit with 22 women in Cincinnati's Rock music scene
Dale Johnson, CityBeat - 01/14/04
Cincinnati Gets the 'Point - Cincinnatians (and outsiders) made the 2003 MidPoint Music Festival a fully-realized success
CityBeat Staff, CityBeat - 10/01/03
MidPoint Delivers - Musical showcase draws 30,000; organizers promise more for next year
Larry Nager, Cincinnati Enquirer - 09/26/03
MidPoint Music Festival
- One 10-buck ticket gets you dozens of bands on 15 stages over two nights
Larry Nager, Cincinnati Enquirer - 09/26/03
