music & poetry.

Azmera is the author of the celebrated poetry book “Breaking The Boxes: Poems for Keeping Hope Alive When Your Faith is Fractured” (2025). Her poetry is published in countless digital and print publications including the book “We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from Freedom Church of the Poor” (2025) edited by Dr. Rev Liz Theoharis and Dr. Charon Hribar.

Azmera has received numerous awards for her poetry including a 2017-2018 U.S. Fulbright Creative and Performing Arts Fellowship, the 2016 USC Center for Black Culture and Student Affairs Most Innovative Trojan Award, and the USC Alpha Phi Alpha Maya Angelou Artistry Award. In 2017, Azmera performed an original poem at the Los Angeles Theatre Center for the 1st Annual Johnny Guitar Watson Awards Gala where she was accompanied by percussionist Munyungo Jackson. She also was invited to perform at the 2014 International Society of Black Latinos Awards Gala, honoring former Los Angeles Dodgers head Coach Manny Mota.

Azmera graced the stage at the 2016 USC Women’s Conference and the 2016 USC Black Alumni Association Graduation Ceremony. In 2015, Azmera wrote, directed and produced the spoken word series “Break The Boxes” which began with the poem Capoeira and led to her studying how powerful this art form is in cultivating community-based healing and forwarding the anti-gender violence movement in Salvador Bahia, Brazil for ten months. In 2020, Azmera became a co-founder and executive leader of the global Hip Hop collective Follow The Keepers, where she co-designed and implemented bilingual programming that celebrates Black women’s contributions to HipHop’s five decade herstory.

As an independent artist, Azmera produced and released her debut album Young Spirit Old Soul (2023) and EP Az-a-Mirror (2024). In 2024, she appeared on CBS Sunday Mornings as a semi-finalist with her family band for their original rendition of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now”. Highlights of Azmera’s musical journey include collaborating with the incredible artist and producer akua naru on the original single “Say How You Feel” (released 2024) as well as Aric B. on “Best Friend” (2020). She also collaborated to create the popular original single “Crashing into You” off the album Noble Sound (2023) with her partner, Dennis.

Gallery.

Select past commissioned performances, collaborations, events.

Live Poetry Performance.