Voza Rivers

Voza Rivers is a leading African-American theater, music, and events producer and documentary filmmaker, born in Harlem, New York.

Rivers is the Executive Producer and founding member of the New Heritage Theatre Group (established in 1964) and Executive Producer and Co-Founder of IMPACT Repertory Theatre, the Oscar-nominated youth division of New Heritage Theatre Group led by U.S. director, activist and educator Jamal Joseph.[1] He has produced and co-produced theater, music, and television projects, film festivals, and music tributes in the United States, Japan, South Africa, and the UK including producing Mbongeni Ngema's Tony- and Grammy-nominated South African plays Asinimali! (1987) and Sarafina!(1988).[2] The series of groundbreaking South African plays produced by Rivers and the New Heritage Theatre Group in the 1980s educated Harlemites about the apartheid struggle.[3] Films produced by Rivers include A-Alike (2003), Lifted (2007) and The Savoy King: Chick Webb & the Music That Changed America (2012).[4]

As a music producer Rivers has produced music events and concerts featuring world-renowned artists in the United States, South Africa and Japan.A partial listing of artists Rivers has produced for includes: Nancy Wilson, Nina Simone, Ruby Dee, Luther Vandross, James Brown, The Count Basie Orchestra, Ray Charles, Ashford and Simpson, Boy George, George Benson, Tito Puente, Lionel Hampton, Isaac Hayes, Little Jimmy Scott, Celia Cruz, Miriam Makeba, and Chaka Khan.[5]

Voza Rivers is the First Vice President of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, and the Executive Producer of "HARLEM WEEK" which began in 1974 as a one-day tribute to Harlem and has evolved over 40 years into a month-long celebration of the community's economic, political and cultural history attracting over 2 million attendees from all over the world.[6] As of June 2015, Rivers also serves as the executive producer of Gertrude Jeanette's The H.A.D.L.E.Y. Players.

In popular culture

On October 20, 2015 Voza Rivers along with the Congressman Charles Rangel announced October 20 as Lupita Nyong'o Day in Harlem, NY after Nyongo visited to take part in an event produced by Rivers which was an open discussion between Nyong'o and image Activist Michaela Angela Davis at MIST Harlem[7]

Awards and recognition

1984 Black Personality of the Month Voza Rivers, Anheuser-Busch/ Black American
1988 United Nations Medal for Peace for "Sarafina!"
1988 FEDAPT Award for GRAMMY and TONY nominated SARAFINA!, League of American Theatres and Producers
1988 St.George Associations Art and Culture Award for SARAFINA!, St. George Association
1989 1989 Grammy Nomination for the "Sarafina!" Cast Album
1991 N Y 1 Television "New Yorker of the Week" , NY 1 Television
1996 Ruth Whitehead Whaley Award, Association of Black Women Attorneys for Community Service
1998 Harlem Jazz & Music Festival Tiffany Award, Harlem Jazz and Music Festival
1999 WHO'S WHO of Professionals Honoree
2000 AUDELCO Outstanding Pioneer Award in Theater, Audience Development Committee, Inc
2000 New York Foundation for the Arts Union Square Award, New York Foundation of the Arts
2001 Culture Fest Theatre Award, Your Culture Counts Voza Rivers, Culture Fest
2001 William Jefferson Clinton Salute to IMPACT Repertory Theatre
2001 Forces of Nature NIA Award
2001 John Hunter Memorial Humanitarian Award
2002 Harlem Health Community Service Award, Harlem Hospital Center
2002 Omega Psi Phi, Xi Phi chapter "Citizen of the Year" Award
2002 Kwanzaa Foundation Nguzo Saba Award for Creativity
 2002 National Conference of Artists NCA NY Chapter Leadership Award
2003 Outstanding Achievement and Stalwart Commitment to the Arts, Delta Sigma Theta sorority
2003 Distinguished Humanitarian Award from the Samaritan Foundation
2003 HARLEM WEEK Kick Off Special Award, presented by Mayor Mike Bloomberg
2005 Arts Organizing Award, National Conference of Artists
2005 I AM Award, Oliver Black Production in Association with IAM and the Harlem Arts Alliance
2005 Black History Makers Arts Organizing Award, The National Conference of Artists New York
2006 Ellie Charles Award, African Voices Magazine
2006 Community Service Award, Harlem Business Alliance
2006 Vanguard Award, Black To Broadway
2006 Star Achiever Award, United Negro College Fund
2006 “The VIV” to IMPACT Repertory Theatre at the 35th Annual Vivian Robinson/AUDELCO Recognition Awards
2007 Peace Award, Kobe International Harmony Eyes Festival
2007 Larry Leopn Hamlin Producers Award, National Black Theatre Festival
2008 Distinguished Community Service Award, E.Louise Richardson
2008 Mind Builders Creative Arts Center Cultural Legacy Award, Mind Builders Creative Arts Center
2009 One of the Most Influential New Yorkers in Arts and Culture, New York Daily News
2009 Cover Story, Black Masks Magazin'
2009 45th Anniversary of NHTG Salute Voza Rivers, Community Works and the DWYER Cultural Center
2012 The New York Coalition of Black Women Honor the Life ond Accomplishments of Voza Rivers, The New York Coalition of Black Women
2012 Talladega College Alumni Association of Greater New York Honors Voza Rivers, College Alumni Association of Greater New York
2012 Leadership Award, The Children's Storefront Independent School in Harlem
2012 Mother Dovetta Wilson Leadership Award, The City of New York Office of the President Borough of Manhattan Scott M. Springer
2013 Roy Wilkins Lifetime Achievement Award, NAACP Mid-Manhattan Branch
2013 Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition presented by Honorable Charles B. Rangel, Member of Congress
2014 Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce on 40th Anniversary of HARLEM WEEK Award, Jazzmobile
2014 Winona Lee Fletcher Award, Black Theatre Network
2014 Honorable Charles B. Rangel of New York Congress Recognizes New Federal Theatre's 44th Anniversary Gala Honoring Legendary Producer Voza Rivers and New Heritage Theatre Group, Honorable Charles B. Rangel
2014 Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust Award, Honoring the Harlem Shakespeare Festival
2015 Trailblazer Award Presented to New Heritage Theatre Group, Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement

References

  1. ↑ Ravosa, Gina. "Voza Rivers Selected as First Artist in Residence at The New York Academy of Medicine". The New York Academy of Medicine. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  2. ↑ Gerard, Jeremy (15 April 1987). "For Asinimali!' Backers More Than Just A Play". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Wright, Peter (9 October 2014). "Apollo Theater's festival highlights Harlem's South African connection". NY Daily News. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Voza Rivers biography: Mini bio". IMDB. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  5. ↑ "Voza Rivers". Circle of Sisters. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  6. ↑ Barker, Cyril Josh (27 February 2014). "A Standing Ovation for Voza Rivers". New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Workneh, Lily (21 October 2015). "Harlem Dedicated a Whole Day to the Glorious Lupita Nyong'o" (Huff Post Black Voices). The Huffington Post. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
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