MEET THE PERFORMERS AND PRESENTERS
PERFORMANCE ON JANUARY 18, 2025
MLK MEETS INAUGURATION DAY
AT THE PEOPLES' VOICE CAFE
Chris “Oledude” Owens
www.oledudesongs.com | www.15thStreetBand.com
Coming from a rich musical and political background, Chris Owens has taken the “stage name” Chris Oledude (OHL-DOOD) and has released several original recordings since 2020, including “George Floyd” and “Orange Blues”.
Chris is working on two Oledude albums scheduled for release in early 2025 and encourages everyone to join his mailing list for news updates. He is also working with the Brooklyn-based band, 15TH STREET, which has several performances coming up over the next five months.
Owens was first involved with the People’s Voice Cafe in the 1980s, performing his original works in 1986. In 2019, he became more active and a lifetime member of the PVC. He also regularly accompanies other performers on keyboard, soprano or tenor recorder, percussion, and/or vocals. In 2024, he led a 16-piece ensemble’s performance of his original works at the Martin Luther King Holiday concert. In 2022, he led a similar performance, but livestream-only, from a Williamsburg studio – which was a fundraiser for PVC.
The Angels Of Transformation Dancers
www.angelsoftransformation.org
“We Dance for God”
The Angels of Transformation Dancers is a dynamic ministry of dance and healing established in 2014. The ministry’s members, ranging in age from 30 to 85, come together from different houses of worship and all walks of life—teachers, executives, postal workers, bankers, mothers, grandmothers, and more—united by a shared passion for The Spirit of God, dance and healing.
Through the art of dance, these Angels create an atmosphere of healing, transformation, and divine connection. Every step, every gesture, and every rhythm is a prayer in motion, designed to uplift hearts, inspire faith, and reveal God’s light in the world.
Led by founder Leslie Alston, The Angels of Transformation Dancers have ministered across the New York Tri-State Area, sharing the sacred gift of dance in churches, communities, and special events. Their performances are not simply dances — they are experiences of healing energy, spiritual awakening, and profound joy.
Tonight, as they take the stage, you are invited to open your hearts, feel the presence of the Divine, and allow the light of transformation to move through you.
In August, 2020, with only 48 hours of notice, the Angels led a group of dancers performing in the music video, “George Floyd: Say Their Names”, rooted in Christopher Owens’ song, “George Floyd”. The video earned many film festival awards, including one for the dancers.
This performance is the PVC debut of the Angels of Transformation Dancers.
May the spirit of grace and love dance within us all.
Kaitlin Byrd/Gotham Girl Blue
Kaitlin Byrd is making her Peoples’ Voice Cafe debut. However, she has been commenting about American politics on Twitter since 2016, through published essays since 2018, and as a loudmouth her whole life.
Born and raised in New York, Kaitlin is the second generation of her family to be from the city, and the first to grow up immersed in local politics, with her first door-to-door canvassing done at the ripe old age of three years old. In the wake of the Great Election Calamity of 2016, she began speaking out on social media about the past, present, and future of the United States with her unique blend of bluntness, humor, and unyielding clarity.
Since then, Kaitlin has been asked to give her take on unfolding events by a range of publications and productions, including the Huffington Post, Bustle, the Boston Globe, The Cut, and Betches Media. She’s a monthly columnist for Dame Magazine and a weekly cohost of the Betches Sup podcast. She lives a very short commute away from her beloved Brooklyn, in New York.
DuPrée
Jaque DuPrée (DOO-PRAY) is a Peoples’ Voice Cafe member, veteran and stalwart. On March 1st, she will be producing and performing in a PVC salute to the great Bev Grant: DUPREE TOASTS BEV GRANT. The show should be a great one!
DuPrée is a visual and performing artist. Art and music are her tools of resistance. Accordingly, she collaborates with multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-generational, and coalition builders.
With these allies, DuPrée seeks ways forward for peace and social justice. This is why she is a member of: the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, the People’s Music Network for Songs of Freedom and Struggle, the New York Folk Music Society, and Williams Institutional AME Church, to name a few.
One listener shared that DuPrée’s “soaring contralto voice, powerful vibrato and melodious yodeling grip the listener with hope for humanity; her songs evoke the haunting quality of a longing for truth and an inquiry into the different shades of justice.”
DAWUD RAHMAN
JAMOL SIMONS
Music On The Inside
The non-profit organization MUSIC ON THE INSIDE is represented tonight by three of its graduates, each a stellar musician and each making their Peoples' Voice Cafe debut.
Dawud (DAH-WOOOD) Rahman was born in La Ceiba, Belize (then British Honduras), and raised there, where music of many styles developed his eclectic tastes.
After immigrating to the United States, Dawud immersed himself in the music of the ‘60s and began playing trumpet in a high school band.
After being incarcerated in 1973, Dawud maintained a limited connection to music. He played trumpet and sax in various facility bands, mostly in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Unfortunately for everyone, the presence of music in prison facilities endured a drastic decline during and after the 1980s.
Dawud was released in 2019. He became involved with musical programming at The Fortune Society, well known for its work in the criminal justice area. He was also introduced to a younger organization, Music On The Inside, which sought and still seeks to foster music in the prisons and provide musical training and support for individuals experiencing re-entry.
Through MOTI, Dawud received valuable instruction, which helped fill gaps in his previous experience. He is grateful to have had the opportunity to study with the master saxophonist Don Braden and the virtuosic flute instructor, Barbara Seisel.
Dawud was offered a sax chair in the workshop ensemble of Oscar Feldman and he continues to grow musically under Feldman’s tutelage.
Jamol Simon was born in Grenada, West Indies.
The country's motto is "Ever conscious of God, we aspire to build and advance as one people". Living this inspiring philosophy in the bluest of Caribbean waters, Jamol was moved at an early age by the pulsating rhythms of sea waves…
Jamol came to the U.S. some 15 years ago and was later incarcerated. He was released in 2024. During his incarceration on Rikers Island, Jamol was introduced to MUSIC ON THE INSIDE as a participant in MOTI's Prison Music Classes. He studied with musical therapist Jeffrey Angell for nearly six months.
Today, Jamol uses a commanding and playful approach to drums and percussion and he is also a charismatic vocalist. Simons is currently receiving services at Fortune Society's Castle in Harlem, where he now resides.
Jamol continues to study music with MOTI and, like this evening, he is appearing in concerts with MOTI mentors and mentees.
Guitar: David O'Rourke
Singers: Roni Alpert, Alina Bloomgarden, Nina DiCarlo, Mikell Green Grand, Chloe O'Rourke
Tamara Fish
Tamara Fish is making her second appearance as a Peoples' Voice Cafe speaker, having participated in the 2024 Peoples' Voice Cafe MLK Holiday celebration.
Tamara is the Co-founding Director of KHAZBAR: An Oasis in Deserts of Jewish Diversity for JOCISM and Serious Allies.
KHAZBAR's dual mission is:
1) to serve as a network, resource, and culture incubator for Jew of Color, including Indigenous, Sephardi, and Mitzrachi Jews (JOCISM), and
2) to disrupt traditional Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice / Belonging (DEI/J/B) training in order to serve these ends constructively and compassionately without shaming or blaming.
Tamara (Harvard U., AB; Union Theo. Sem., MA; Columbia U., MPhil, ABD) served as president of the Jewish Multiracial Network, president and board member of Congregation Tehillah, Riverdale, NY, and Assistant Director of the Office of the University Chaplain at Columbia University. Prior to that, she was a professor of religion at Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY.
A proud African-American Jew, Tamara is currently a board member of the Academy for Jewish Religion, the nation's first pluralistic Jewish seminary.
BARBARA FRANKEL
MARTIN WALLACE
The Frankel-Wallace Duo
BARBARA FRANKEL and MARTIN WALLACE perform primarily jazz standards as a duo and they also work with additional ensemble members. Previous collaborations have included the Claude Bolling Suite and an all-Bartok concert.
Barbara, a classically trained flutist & pianist with eclectic tastes, performs jazz, classical, and world musical pieces. She also enjoys cross-arts collaborations with dance, theatre, film, and visual arts.
As a music educator, Babara created and implemented original children’s music and arts programs, taught Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and operates a private piano and flute lesson studio.
Martin has worked in a variety of settings, from classical and jazz groups to circus music and protest bands. In addition to his work with Barbara, he plays jazz with the trio JWB and classical music with the Park Slope Chamber Ensemble in Brooklyn.
Tonight’s performance is Martin’s People's Voice Cafe debut. Celebrating the Martin Luther King Birthday Holiday in 2024, Barbara performed original works of and with Chris “Oledude” Owens at the People's Voice Cafe.
To be notified of upcoming Frankel-Wallace performances, please send your name & contact info to bfmusic77@gmail.com.
Judy Gorman
“Judy Gorman shoots the arrow straight to the heart; she's a wonderful singer and musician”- Pete Seeger
At the start of the Peoples’ Voice Cafe, Judy was one of the founding members and the designer of its banner. Since then, she has performed often at the PVC herself. Judy is currently producing a PVC Pete Seeger tribute concert this coming May 3rd – which happens to be Pete’s birthday. Be there!
Judy Gorman’s singing and guitar work are infused with blues, folk, and jazz. She has performed for the United Nations, at festivals, universities, concert halls, and peace, environmental, and human rights events internationally. Judy has shared the stage with Pete Seeger, Odetta, Harry Belafonte, Whoopi Goldberg, Sweet Honey in The Rock, Suzanne Vega, Richie Havens, the Indigo Girls, Meryl Streep, and James Earl Jones.
Born and educated in NYC, Judy earned a BA in Literature and an MA in Art History. Judy also produced radio programs for Pacifica Radio's WBAI, 99.5 FM, taught English in Chinatown, assisted in oral surgery, did construction work, and community organizing, and worked at the Guggenheim Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Judy’s albums include Live at Folk City, Analog Girl In A Digital World, The Rising of Us All, If Dreams Were Thunder, and Right Behind You in The Left-Hand Lane. During the 1980s, Judy and Chris Owens co-led two bands together and they have performed together numerous times.
Dilson Hernandez
Dilson has emerged as an exciting musical force in the Peoples’ Voice Cafe. He recently debuted his new biographical one-man show, Bachatú.
Dilson is a multi-genre merging artist hailing from the mecca of Hip Hop, The Bronx. His work contains elements of Hip Hop, Rock, Bachata, Blues, Spoken Word, Reggae and many more. Accordingly, he has a burning need to master different instruments and styles since picking up his first guitar at the age of 14.
Hernandez plays guitar, bass, ukelele, piano, harmonica, and various drums. He engages in beat making, audio engineering, spoken word compositions, fiction writing … and blogging.
Dilson received his B.A. in both English and Music from SUNY-Albany, and also became a certified Audio Engineer through the Institute of Audio Research.
Hernandez’s goal is to craft art around love, education, social norms, relationships, family, etc. His upbringing in a proud Dominican family sparked the desire to uplift various cultures and communities, especially his own, through music. Dilson believes that every artist, especially conscious artists, has to be held accountable for their words and they must mirror the work that they preach.
In recent years, Dilson provided after-school, music-related workshops to NYC public school students. He also brought his talents into Rikers Island, facilitating Hip-Hop themed workshops with 18-to-21 year-old incarcerated youth. He has also traveled and worked abroad, including Haiti and India, which has served as inspiration for his inter-cultural personal philosophy and several songs.
Shafiq Hicks
@thereal_shafiq | @vocal.journeys
SHAFIQ HICKS (he/him) is making his Peoples’ Voice Cafe debut. Shafiq is a sought-after vocalist, actor, and teacher. Hicks has studied at both The University of the Arts and Temple University – schools in his hometown of Philadelphia.
As a vocalist, Shafiq has collaborated with some of the best in the industry such as Estelle, Andrea Bocelli, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Aretha Franklin, and most recently Sam Smith on SNL.
Hicks has been a soloist/principal for Mozart's Requiem, Brahms's Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, among many others. He has also participated in the American Opera Project premiering works by Masters students at NYU.
Theatrical opportunities have also been enjoyable for Shafiq. Roles have included COLLINS (RENT 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour), BEAST (Beauty and The Beast - STONC), AGWE (Once On This Island - STONC), and STEW (Passing Strange - LongWharf Theatre).
Hicks runs his own private voice studio, Vocal Journeys, with the goal of “finding the ‘you’ in your voice”.
Michael Hiller
www.15thStreetBand.com | www.hillerpc.com/attorney/michael-s-hiller/
Michael Hiller is making his Peoples’ Voice Café debut. Born and raised in New York, Michael worked his way through college and graduate school as a guitarist and vocalist in Maryland, Virginia, and in Washington, DC, where he was featured for three years as an artist-in-residence at Quigley’s.
Michael has also appeared at The Bitter End, Red Lion, The Delancey, and countless other venues in New York City. Before his work as a recording artist, Michael was a member of the Mountebanks Theatre Company for four years and appeared in an off-Broadway production of The Full Monty.
As a songwriter, Michael’s influences include John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, and Melissa Etheridge. A co-founder of the band 15th Street (formerly known as Lunar Tourists), Michael serves as the rhythm guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and vocal arranger for the band’s original tunes.
Apart from his music, Michael is a citizen activist, advocating in support of the decriminalization of cannabis (marijuana), and against widespread over-development, gentrification, and the growth of mega-towers throughout New York City. For his advocacy work, Michael has received the “2024 Landmarks Lion” award from The Historic Districts Council, the “4(20) Advocate of the Year Award” (2018), and the “Grassroots Preservation Award” (2017), amongst other honors.
Kristen Meade
Kristen Meade is making her Peoples’ Voice Café debut, but she has lived and breathed music from an early age. It was impossible to get her to stop singing, no matter where she was (especially Broadway show tunes and Bruce Springsteen).
Kristen started playing piano by ear at the age of six and went on to study classical piano and percussion before receiving a B.A. in Music. In 2020, she started working with a vocal coach to return to her first love of singing and has since delved into songwriting.
For Kristen, getting to sing (and play a mean tambourine) with her “five dads” on 15TH STREET has been a dream come true.
In her other life, Kristen Meade works with a local non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, expanding, and enhancing the park experience for New Yorkers.
hot glue & the gun
https://www.hotglueandthegun.com/#band-1-section
hot glue & the gun craft transformative, interactive theater-rock! They have performed at the Peoples’ Voice Cafe in recent years.
Founding members Carrie Klein and joEL McGlynn met serving hungry Upper West Siders in New York City. Irritated by each other at first, they soon glued together in the brunch trenches and before long decided to spend as many days as possible together.
They co-formed hot glue & the gun to explore the GLUEY intersections of artistry and community. Co-creative participants infuse the ecclectic song, story, and assemblage art of hot glue & the gun with the broken, beautiful pieces of their sacred selves.
Let it go. Let it grow. #betheglue
Barry Kornhauser
Barry Kornhauser is a cornerstone of the Peoples’ Voice Cafe’s artistic community. He has probably appeared on the PVC stage more than any other individual as an accompanist on cello or guitar and as a soloist.
As a composer, arranger, teacher, and multi-instrumentalist (cello, guitar, and bass), Barry has worked in a wide variety of musical environments, performing on stages ranging from Merkin Hall and NJPAC to the Bronx Zoo and Hippo Playground, from St. John the Divine and Trinity Church to Sing Sing Prison and Creedmoor.
Barry’s past collaborators include Suni Paz, Lucia Pulido, Bernardo Palumbo, Bev Grant (The Human Condition), the Derailers (with Charles “Honeyboy” Otis), Jana Herzen, Jay Mankita, Meredith Wright (Sweetbeatz), Luis Diaz, New Translations (w/David Binney and Paula Potocki), Cutumay Camones, Tomas Rodriguez, Jolie Rickman, Juan Lazarro Mendolas, David Gonzalez, and Zenobia Conkerite).
Barry has performed with Chris “Oledude” Owens on numerous occasions, including with the Owens Brothers Band, at the Chris Oledude 2022 Birthday Bash, and the 2024 PVC celebration of the Martin Luther King Holiday.
Along with Jaque DuPree, Barry serves as an artist-in-residence with the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. He is presently developing an educational resource about harmony as applied to the cello.
Barry was born in the Midwest -- of the Bronx -- but he is now a certifiable long-time Brooklyn resident.
Kiyoko Yamaoka Layne
Kiyoko Layne was born and raised in Japan, then followed her calling and came to the U.S. to pursue her passion: music. She recently performed at The Peoples’ Voice Cafe with Djjembefola Atiba Kwabena Wilson.
Kiyoko played classical piano and alto saxophone in her youth and later formed an a cappella group while working as a registered nurse. She began singing to her patients and was overwhelmed by their reactions. When she saw them crying, Kiyoko realized the great power music has to move people’s hearts. She decided to leave her nursing career to pursue music.
Layne attended the Berklee College of Music, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Composition (2007). Since moving to Harlem in 2008, Kiyoko has performed in numerous jazz clubs, with the “house band” at the Jazz Foundation of America's Monday Night Jam, and at the United Nations Plaza. Kiyoko also teaches and works as a music librarian for the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
Her first CD, Kiyoko in Harlem, was released in 2009. A new poetry CD, Just Sayin’ and Playin’, with poet and bassist Larry Roland, was released in July 2023.
In 2024, Kiyko performed with Atiba Wilson’s Songhai Djeli for James Baldwin’s 100th Birthday Event, A Century of Baldwin, at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center.
Bracha Lieberman
Bracha Lieberman, a social worker and career counselor, is President of the Peoples’ Voice Cafe Board of Directors and has also served on the Steering Committee of the People's Music Network.
Bracha sings with the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus, does some songwriting, studied acting at Circle in the Square and HB Studios, and played a variety of roles in community theater productions, and she believes that community counts.
Dedicated to taking action to make the world a better place, Bracha has been phone banking for the Center for Common Ground on voter suppression issues.
In the original song, "Pave The Way", Bracha proclaims her personal motto: "Start your day off with an act of kindness!"
Bracha was also a presenter at the 2024 PVC MLK Holiday celebration.
Elijah Dixon Owens
Elijah Owens is making his second appearance as a Peoples’ Voice Cafe personality. His debut was at the 2024 PVC Martin Luther King holiday celebration.
Elijah is a 2019 graduate of Earlham College. He spent three years teaching various grades in Japan and then taught history and English Language Arts to 5th-grade students at a Bronx middle school.
Elijah loves music and was a member and leader of an a cappella group in college, amongst other activities. He also loves debate, politics, and public speaking -- he won the Declamation contest at his high school, the Brooklyn Latin School.
For several years, Elijah served as a volunteer for the Central Brooklyn Martin Luther King Commission -- a non-profit organization founded by his grandfather, the late Congressman Major R. Owens (D-NY).
Elijah is interested in urban planning and public transportation. He is applying to graduate programs and welcomes any advice and contacts in the field. He also welcomes any possible employment opportunities.