Ochi - Lyrical Advocate
Ochi is a talented singer, songwriter, and a fun performer who leaves it all on the stage. She brings her activism to her writing and delivers with a sassy style uniquely her own. Ochi creates spiritual, political, gender positive verse that is relevant to the times. Her ethnic images are inspiring to women both young and old of every ethnicity. Though much of her work is gender specific she has transcended gender, culture, religious, and socioeconomic barriers. Ochi is what the world has long needed. She is tastefully, an "in your face" performer. The content is nothing new but her delivery is fresh and Ochi is not afraid to broach the most sensitivity of subjects. She redefines feminism in a "sheroic" effort to speak out for the silent majority within the same gender loving community. What many think yet, dare not say Ochi boldly heralds.
She is never apologetic with truth as her guide, she says what she means, and means what she says. She is inspiring, powerful, uplifting, and often humorous. She creates healthy, spirited dialogue as she advocates for a better tomorrow today.
Ochi - Performer/Songwriter/Activist
Ochi has shared in joyous performances with: The Junkyard Drummers, Irepo Afrikan Dancers & Drummers, Baba Joda and Friends, the Watoto Afrikan Dancers & Drummers, Drums of Passion, Carmelia Van Horn, Sankofa, Moyo Nguvo, Jambalaya, Afia Walking Tree and many more. She has collaborated with: Heritage Dancers, Denver School of the Arts, the African American Leadership Institute, the Institute of Global Scholarship, the Denver Kwanzaa Committee, the Denver Black Arts Festival, Take Back the Night, the Denver Pan African Film Festival, New Ground Collabo (NCG), and so many wonderful others. She looks forward to meeting and combining her energies and talents with more artist in the future.
Gatekeeper Productions - Producer
Gatekeeper Productions is an unplanned pregnancy borne out of frustration over limited access to the music industry. Formulated and developed by Ochi in February 2005, her desire is to meet the needs of same gender loving female artist who refused to conform to be heard. Gatekeeper Productions was created to be the 1st, female owned, and operated major independent label.
Gatekeeper specializes in:
Non-offensive, sexy music that reaffirms supports and validates wimin who love wimin.
Our goal is to encourage, educate, and entertain all people and especially same gender loving people through music. Hopefully, our music, writers and artistic staff will create an atmosphere of growth and social change that resonates throughout the airwaves offering hope to those unable to breathe the air of freedom. If one person is able to hear our music and become politically aware, socially conscious, morally empowered, and physically able to take their life in hand shaking off the bands of oppression, we will have met our objective. Yes we would like to sell more than one CD because frankly we need the money. More importantly, each and every life matters for each droplet contributes to making a pool. Unfortunately, there are many whose daily reality is a closet. Perhaps, we can help them “OUT”.
People who “step out” under their own power live and develop under a different reality than those thrust out. Help us at Gatekeeper build a world where our lives are no secret and there is no need to step out.