Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonyela (MasterPiece) Arphul.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started writing poetry when I was 13 years old. I had been listening to hip hop and was really inspired by how rappers were able to tell a story through rhyme and rhythm. I was given a book by Nikki Giovanni for Christmas in 1997. Once I saw how the words and prose were freely written, I said this is it, this how I can express myself.
I’ve always been extremely shy and had trouble expressing my emotions. I grew up in a very strict household so my thoughts were always bottled up inside. Poetry gave me a release. I wrote for years without anyone knowing. Once I graduated high school, I went to the University of Arizona. There, they had this open mic event at a place called The Cellar. I didn’t even realize you could perform poetry. Once I attended, I told myself I had to get on stage one day. I spent weeks memorizing this one poem. I was incredibly nervous. One Friday night, I got on stage and performed the poem. The audience went crazy! The feeling of joy, relief, excitement, and impact that night had on me made me realize THIS is who I am. The liberation was unforgettable and changed my life.
Has it been a smooth road?
The journey in being a professional spokenword artist has been and continues to be one of the most challenging things I’ve experienced in my life. Poetry is considered the underdog when it comes to performance art and entertainment. So, trying to make my way out of a niche market and creating my own lane and brand has been extremely difficult. Being a woman who has always embraced my sensual sexy side and have always had a taste in fashion, I automatically stood out and was often the target of a lot of rumors and people trying to knock me down. Trying to balance between being a model and poetic sex symbol to a well respected public figure has definitely brought its struggle.
Of course, making poetry a lucrative source of income is a challenge itself. Touring the world, selling merchandise, branding, and trying to find my way as a full-time artist and entrepreneur will always be challenging until Poetry/spokenword breaks into the mainstream arena.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the MasterPiece Entertainment story. Tell us more about it.
MasterPiece Entertainment is comprised of producing shows, performance, marketing & graphic design, fashion design, and mentorship. Poetry is at the base of everything but we are most known for producing the biggest spokenword show in the DFW metroplex for the last six years called FLOW (ForLoveOfWords). It is an all in one package, tightly curated show featuring professional spokenword artists from across the country, live music, comedy, and artists. It is truly a celebration of the arts.
I am most proud of being a well-recognized brand not just in the spokenword world but outside of it as well. The quality and effort in marketing and branding is definitely what makes MasterPiece Entertainment stand out.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
With the prominence of social media within the last few years, I definitely see poetry and spokenword growing to be a necessary and more mainstream form of entertainment within the next decade. I definitely the shift now with artists including myself garnering millions of views from releasing videos with poetry. This exposure is quickly impacting and changing the landscape to which people view and listen to poetry and is now giving audiences immediate access to quality writing, visuals and performance poetry.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.masterpiecepoetry.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @masterpiecepoet
- Facebook: @masterpiecepoet
- Twitter: @Qmasterpiece83
Image Credit:
Sheldon Botler, Rudolph Tolar
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