By Marc W. Polite
Good afternoon, my readers. In this week’s author profile, we meet Efren Zemill. Efren is the author of “Thoughts In Vision” – a collection of poems. Read more below to learn his sources of inspiration.
Polite On Society: For those who are unfamiliar with you, who is Efren “Zemill”? Tell us a little about yourself.
Efren Zemill: Hello, and thank you for having me. I am Zemill. The word means “Joyous Melodies” in Hebrew. I’m a Dallas native and SMU graduate who is a two-time Telly Award-winning spoken word artist, performer, author and lyricist.
I’ve written and performed for the four-time Emmy Award-winning Dr. King Civil Rights Concert, hosted by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters and its legendary CEO, Mr. Curtis King. I’m also a major advocate for social justice. My work has been featured in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Nigeria.
I’ve been blessed to be considered by several media writers as one of the most versatile performers on the scene today.
Together with the incredible artist, musician and producer Joel McCray; silky-smooth saxophonist Fulton Turnage; talented and epic drummer Ms. JaQuita Jones; and the cool man on bass, Will Brooks, we fused smooth jazz, smooth R&B, neo-soul and spoken word to create our own unique brand of music known as “Zemill’s The PoJazz Experience.”
My goal has always been to create words and music that lift the heart, stir the spirit and warm the souls of fans around the world. For all of our great fans, whom we affectionately call “PoJazzists,” I feel good about the magic we’ve delivered.
I love music, my work and views from the ocean. I’ve been blessed with the gifts of words and music and commissioned to share the melodies.
POS: You have a book of poetry called “Thoughts In Vision: Poetic Works of Love, Life and Inspiration”.What motivated you to put this work out into the world?
EZ: That was my first book, and the motivation was to take the images and thoughts in my head and express them with a poetic pen. I wanted to share my “thoughts,” pun intended, on how I saw love, life and the moments that inspired me personally.
In my second book, Love Unleashed, I took those thoughts to another level. The content became deeper, the words more piercing and the messages more engaging because of my growth as a writer.
It speaks candidly not only about love, life and inspiration, as the first book did, but it also delves sensually into the arena of intimacy—exploring how the mind is the “true” key to the deepest feelings we long to enjoy and explore.
I’m very excited about where the flow of my pen has traveled.
POS: As a poet on the scene, you are known as “The Prince of PoJazz.” Tell us what inspired you to fuse your affinity for poetry with smooth jazz.
EZ: Great question. Words and music are in my blood and a part of my DNA.
I remember hearing the great Langston Hughes combine jazz and poetry and thinking, “Wow, that’s an amazing concept,” because the music added so much depth to the words and the mood.
I said to myself, “Self,” I said, “I want to create something in that same vein, but with my own flavor.”
So, I got together with Joel and another talented artist and producer, Linny Nance, and we went to work. Joel could hear the melodies I would drop and feel the direction of the vibe through the groove of the words—and again, magic was made.
I wanted my own lane, and by adding smooth jazz and smooth R&B undertones, we all felt it was fire!
POS: Tell us about your initiative, The Elevated Minds Foundation. Is there a connection between your artistry and advocacy?
EZ: Another great question. Our mission is to empower students and communities through education, mental wellness and intellectual development.
We award scholarships to students aspiring to go to the next level in their journey toward higher education. I feel it’s imperative that we reach out to our young people, talk to them, listen to them, encourage them and support their dreams.
The connection to my artistry is that we use it not only to raise funds for our scholarships, but also to use poetry and conversation as vehicles that allow young people to express themselves.
I’m very passionate about giving back.
POS: If you could share one piece of advice with an aspiring poet, what would it be?
EZ: I’ve often said, “Poetry is the language of emotion and the vehicle of expression.”
My advice would be to write what you feel and let the world around you be your inspiration. Be true to who you are, and let your words represent not only who you are, but also the message you aspire to project.
Writing is a release. It’s medicine—for you and for your audience.
Thank you for the opportunity.
Peace & Blessings Always,
Zemill
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I’d like to take the time to thank Efren Zemill for conversing with us.