Oni Lasana, Thee Storyteller

What a adventure it is to go from producing adult radio documentaries way back in the day, to telling great lessons with stories and using wacky voices joyfully delivered over the finest world class music on my podcast, Story Village with Aunti Oni. 

Thanks to ANTHONY FRASER of ABF CREATIVE and author of a young reader book, Don't Dumb Down Your Greatness. invited me to dig down deep in my creative consciousness and story making bag of dreams and independently produce my own self!

Also, I always give thank and praises to the legendary storytellers, authors and poets who contributed to this passion project to bring the joy of reading books and focused listening, lighting up young minds to storytelling, poetry and creative creations.  

SHOUT OUTS! BIG UPS! to the residents of Story Village who allowed me to use their creative property for just the right content for Story Village with Aunti Oni podcast;  JOY JONES of Washington DC and wrote The Girl Who Loved Hip Hop, AUNTIE JOJO of Philly, PA allowed Aunti Oni to deliver her version of Aesop's Farmer, Son and His Mule; International Storyteller CHARLOTTE BLAKE ALTSON'S  mmm, mmm, mmmm Martin Luther King Jr. story poem created for little ones is always a delight for me to deliver. 

Icon Professor Poet NIKKI GIOVANNI also gave permission to recite her tribute poem to Langston Hughes and her last children's book, A Library, before her poetic passing on December 9, 2024. The vivacious storyteller and author, MAMA KOKU of Atlanta Georgia's sweetest tribute to little Black girls hair in Zuri, he Fairy.  

VASSI ROMBUS of Canada who's Story Swapping story shed light on the value of family story sharing, no matter how big or small your family may be. 

In the Company of Poets spar and poet, PAT McLEAN allowed me to bring her freshman story of Reggie Rascal, a cautionary tale for her grandchildren, to life. International storyteller, musician and author, HEATHER FOREST's version of Aesop's Crow moral tale, Beautiful As You Are. MITCH "Grandaddy Junebug" CAPEL of North Carolina, Dunbarian extraordinaire allowed Aunti Oni to bring his book The Jealous Farmer almost as sweet as he does!  

Whimsically cool storyteller, WILLA BRIGHAM'S humorous poetry to her grandparents, DIANE WILLIAMS of Mississippi who's wonderful book Annie Mae Jumps The Broom evolved into a Juneteenth story in Story Village. CAROLYN WATKINS offered her storybook on a child's angst on moving to a new school in I Don't Want To Move. Philadelphia's Official Storyteller and Co-founder of The National Association of Black Storytellers, LINDA GOSS shared her book The Frog Who Wanted To Be A Singer where I learned my natural voice sounded just like that frog! 

 PEDRO SACRISTAN from across the pond in Spain who's The Boy Who Always Won story set the village off on the rules of playing video games. ANTONIO SACRE author of The Barking Mouse became Aunti Oni's version of Good To Know A Second Language. 

So many stories who's authors who were kind enough to give me permission to do my thing, who I hope won't mind if at this moment I forgot to add them to this very long list;-)

Not only is it a highly creative process to research and re-vise stories and folktales from around the world, I also treasure short stories where I can elaborate and develop my own special take on the story and utilize the silliest voices I can muster....I crack up the whole time recording them and you will too! 

I also love rewriting classic stories as turned it up in a Cinderella story where my girl Cissy Ella is doing her thing today, and her Aunti Oni lends a Rolls Royce to get to the party and meet the prince. 

Or teaching how self-love can overcome self-esteem after surviving cancer, in Stylin' Susie or Aesop's friendship story of The Ant & The Dove groovin' over a reggae beat. Trust me, ALL the music under the stories are superfantasticallymusiclicious.  

 I love telling stories in person eye to twinkling eyes, adorable smiles on the faces of little ones as they chime in with call and response or just outright tell me the next part of the story. Hopefully, with parental guidance they will also love listening on parents phones through a stereo blue tooth, my website or YouTube Channel. 

1. Be that as it may or at the end of the day... Story Village is wonderful place to listen and get lost in story land...with storytelling, poetry (thanks Nikki Giovanni) and some of my original stories; How The Story Man Found A Story and The Palm and The Poui, A Tobago Tale...screaming at me to published, instead of venting here:-)

So if you haven't listened to Story Village with Aunti Oni, just give it a try at least before it goes away to the podcasts in the sky! If repetitive intro's are not for you (kids love it & learn it) just forward past the monotony of learning to say hello in many languages and slide right into the stories, poetry and me croaking out a song or two. 

When your off of Tic Toc, IG or FB and have a little one who's bored but can sit still, listen and has a fabulous imagination...visit www.AuntiOni.fun to see what's going on visually with ZOOG, a new AI app where I tell animated stories and crack jokes in our Story Village and you can get the app to do the same for your grandkids, students or youngin's at home. 

Don't be scared, I can't be the only one giving myself stars and reviews! 

Thanks to Common Sense Media for a review...but with all my fun hard work and play, it deserves 5 STARS!!! 

Check it all out at www.AuntiOni.fun before all my labor of lovin' stories, songs & poetry disappears into internet space!

Thank ya kindly! Warm hugs & see ya later sweet potater, after awhile honey child!