ABOUT ONI

ONI LASANA was born and nurtured with an intuitive love of music, poetry, and storytelling in the Strawberry Mansion section of North Philadelphia. Her mother, Maria, a business owner in the fashion industry, also sang 1st soprano with the Negro Opera Ensemble of Philadelphia. Her father, Bill was a master mason by trade, a Renaissance man, charming raconteur and gregarious people person.

Oni culturally and creatively grew up in a beautiful tree lined neighborhood with lots of friends and family. She kept the younger children safe and out of trouble in what her mother called her "basement & backyard school." From the time she could read, she was teaching, directing talent shows, and making up street games with a diverse group of friends, from foster care to special need playmates on 24th & Huntingdon Street.

Oni's mother was often mistaken for Lena Horne and she had dreams of becoming an actress. Oni was her fifth and youngest child who inherited her mothers talent for public speaking. Her mother placed her on the stage at age 7 with the Ms. Hall Dance Troupe at Connie Mack Recreation Center (now Cecil B. Moore). The all girls dance troupe won city wide competitions performing jazz, tap and ballet to the music of the hit movie, South Pacific.

As a teen, Oni danced with "Crazy Armand" Mc Kissick, as one of the "go-go girls" for WDAS RADIO'S Rock & Rolls shows & The Motown Revue's intermissions at the Uptown Theater. Backstage, she often marveled at the before and after transformations of the glamorous Supremes, Temptations, Stevie Wonder and her all time favorites, Smokey Robinson and James Brown. In 2006 Oni's biographical short-story of her memories, "Rock & Rollin' at the Uptown Theater" was a winning story for the Benjamin Franklin Autobiography Project of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Oni graduated in business from West Catholic Girls High School of Philadelphia she was employed by Fidelity Bank. On vacation she flew to Los Angeles with a "running buddy" another young lady and fell in love with the sunshine and palm trees. She stayed in Los Angeles (for the weather - in those days, it was little opportunity in the performing arts, for people of color) and was employed in the fashion industry, as a window dresser, sales consultant and customer stylist for the Sy Amber Family of Hollywood, California.

At a taping of the Soul Train TV show, she met Danny Sims of Cayman Music. Mr. Sims mentored her in the music industry. After a worldwide tour with a CBS Recording artist, she returned to LA and was employed by The Wes Farrell Organization. An assistant to David Mook, head of the Music Publishing Department of the Partridge Family TV Show's, Every Little Tune Publishing Division and K-Tell catalogue. The Wes Farrell Organization, Recording and Music Publishing Co. aka Chelsea Records in Los Angeles, Chelsea Records was also home to British artist Lulu, R&B group, New York City of the R & B hit, "I'm Doing Fine Now"...without you baby" among other artists and "The Singing Cowboy" TV production.

While at Chelsea Records, her natural instinct for spotting talent and a gifted ear for hit songs, led to discovery of a submitted demo "Be Thankful For What You Got" by William De Vaughn. The song hit the charts and became Billboard's #1 R&B hit of 1974. This led to a promotion in Artist & Repertoire Department. It was while employed at Chelsea Records, Oni was invited and traveled to Jamaica to assist reggae artists in retaining publishing rights and mechanical royalties.

In 1975, she returned to the US to pursue a degree in Communications at Laney College in Oakland, California. While attending Laney she volunteered and was later employed by Pacifica Foundation at KPFA-FM radio station in Berkeley. Oni produced and hosted "Your Space" a weekly in-studio live showcase for local artists and "Bay Leaf" a jazz program. She also served as Interim-Director of the Third World Department where Civil rights activist, Professor Angela Davis also hosted a radio show.

It was at KPFA Radio, where Oni was the first female in the USA to host a national weekly radio show exclusively featuring Reggae and African music. Oni produced radio documentaries on the Rastafarian Movement in Jamaica, the Soweto Uprisings of South Africa, Who Killed Steve Biko?, and on the Wailers of Jamaica.

On a family visit to Philly in 1982, love fell for Oni, when she met her husband Don, and together they raised 3 children. "Blooming where planted" in the countryside of Chester County, Pennsylvania, where they still reside. With her children by her side, she served in the Coatesville community as a cultural activist and a youth mentor in the performing arts. Also a creative director and leader of an African-American performing arts (dancing) Girl Scout troupe. This activity led to her commission to serve as the Chair of Freedom Valley Girl Scout's Minority Task Force, developing a diversity handbook for Girl Scout Leaders in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

A founding member of the Coatesville Kwanzaa Committee, the "Kwanzaa Queens" hosted the Fihankra Project, a delegation of chiefs from Kumasi, Ghana. Chief Naumapau II, his sister Nana Kente and a delegations of Chiefs visited the USA on a mission to apologize for ancestral involvement in the slave trade.

The Kwanzaa Committee extended Black History Month to year round, where Oni facilitated the Empak "Say Yes! To Black History" program at the Coatesville Community Center. An advocate for the welfare of children, she also served on the board of the Young Woman & Children Services of Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

In 1993 as a founding member of the Coatesville Cultural Society, Oni studied and performed Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poetry with the Bob Jones Dance Troupe. As a "Dunbarian", Oni's powerful presentations of Dunbar's spoken word poetry has taken her to audiences throughout the USA, Germany and Trinidad & Tobago. She is a featured artist on the Definitive Paul Laurence Dunbar DVD box set and delights in introducing a new generation to the pathos and humor of Dunbar's spoken word poetry

Presently, a award-winning voice talent, professional storyteller and cultural consultant, Oni continues to stand as a advocate for Arts & Culture in Education through the art of storytelling. She also serves as a humanitarian, historian, self-taught, life experienced educator of African, American, Caribbean history and culture.

A multi-disciplinary performance and teaching artist, and bass musician, Oni independently produced 3 CD's : Oni Lasana Doin' Dunbar as 'Lias' Mother, Sister Wings, Spoken Word Songs Bass & Beat! and I Dreamt, MLK Jr. the single, available for download on all digital music platforms. Toho Publishing co. has recently published two story stories, "Philly Scam or Pay It Forward?" is in The Best Short Stories of Philadelphia 2020 and "Baptized By The Blues" in Hindsight.

A life long spirit driven poet, her bio-poetic published titles include; A Soul Sister From Cool World Valley,

Real Tales of Rhymes & Reason, and Gardenia's & Gumbeaux. A songwriter and music publisher member of ASCAP, American Society of Composers and Publishers. A music arranger on the works of Paul Laurence Dunbar, having set 10 of his poems to jazz, calypso, rap, and south African instrumental music for her Brother Dunbar Performance Workshop and Programs.

As a performance poet she was a founding member of In The Company of Poets, "Philly's First and Finest Female Spoken Word Ensemble" presenting as the Story Poet. ITCOP presented original poetry on personal and international woman's issues. Together, they produced FEMALE FIRE! a spoken word CD. ITCOP continues to present to empower and benefit woman and girls in crisis, with workshops and performances.

In continuance of her journey in radio, Oni hosted and produced CARIBBEAN NITES on WCOJ-FM Radio, "The voice of Chester County" and a poetry and storytelling program, WORD UP! on WCHE-FM radio of West Chester, PA. Oni's online docu-radio show, "Voices of The Diaspora" on Harambee Radio.com, once again, interviewing and promoting cultural icons, storytellers, poets, community artists and activists to international audiences.

As an "art-tivist" Oni directs and performs in several productions with "drama mama's" The West Chester Community Performers. A benevolent theater group of professional women, who's mission is to present African-American Literature from full length plays to readers theater. WCCP has donated over 40,000 in scholarship book awards to college bound students in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Since 1994, Oni owns and operates Oni Lasana Productions, housing and honing her storytelling characters, performances and workshop offerings. Oni's future projects include publishing her 3 children's books, "How The Storyman Found A Story" - "King Lions' Dance" based on a Paul Laurence Dunbar poem, and "The Palm & The Poui, a Tobago Tale." She is seeking a publishing house. Self-publishing, layout and designing is not her forte' ;-)

As an historical re-in actor, besides Harriet Tubman, Oni also presents as Sojourner Truth, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (abolitionist poet) and is presently researching the life of Ona Judge, (George & Martha Washington's 1st president of USA enslaved African-American servant).

Meantime and in between time...Oni's travels as a researcher, collector of stories, and as a cultural conduit in her presentations. Following her spirit driven nature, as an artist of roots and culture she has carried on a grateful journey of living life to the fullest. Oni feels oh so blessed to be living her best life from Pennsylvania, California, Miami, England, Bahamas, Jamaica, Germany, Trinidad & Tobago and most recently, Zimbabwe, Africa!

A certified Laughter Yoga Leader, Oni enjoys guiding folks on the holistic benefits of Laughter Yoga.

Her program, LOL4Real! break down barriers, encourages wellness and chases away the blues!

A Nana to nine grandchildren, a "Aunti" to all children and "Granny Goose" to many. She loves songwriting, poetry, researching & re-telling stories with positive uplifting messages.

A jewelry artisan, Oni designs & creates with precious stones, one of a kind elegant necklaces and earrings for her PRETTY IMPERFECTION ART WEAR Collection. Custom statement pieces are featured on the Pretty Imperfection Artwear Facebook page and for private showings.

Oni Lasana "Constantly Celebrates Creativity" educating herself, focusing on what connects us as human's rather than what separates us. Oni enjoys reading and researching "ah ha!" stories, rehearsing for presentations, practicing bass guitar, and cooking Creole & Caribbean cuisine.

CATCH ONI LIVE VIRTUALLY *!*

Traveling with her husband, on the go solo, presenting with storytelling friends & drama mama's!

Oni give a huge thanks and praises to all her clients, supporters, family & friends. While treasuring every moment, to interact, share and present for adults and youths she has touched in workshops and presentations.

Ya like to read?

Scroll down to read Oni's personal diary of poems & short stories ~

Musings : Considering something thoughtfully

~ REPRESENTING ~

Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild

National Storytelling Network

NEST North East Storytelling

West Chester Community Performers

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National Association of Black Storytellers

ASALH

Association of African American Life and History