Voza Rivers is an American producer and co-producer of theater, film, music, and live events, born in Harlem, New York. River's work as a theater producer, music executive, event producer, and documentary filmmaker has been presented in the United States, Japan, South Africa, Togo, Nigeria, Cuba, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Rivers is the chairman and co-founder of the Harlem Arts Alliance, an arts service membership organization founded in 2001. He is the executive producer and founding member of the New Heritage Theatre Group (NHTG), established in 1964, and executive producer and co-founder of IMPACT Repertory Theatre, the Oscar and GRAMMY-nominated youth and music division of New Heritage Theatre Group. Rivers serves as the First Vice President of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and the co-founder, Vice Chairman, and Executive Producer of HARLEM WEEK, which began in 1974 as a one-day tribute to Harlem and has evolved over 46 years to become a month-long celebration of the community's economic, political and cultural history. Rivers is the former chairman of the Board of Directors of Community Works, a nonprofit arts and education organization.
Career history
Rivers was President of NY Entertainment and Sports Advisors (ESA) when ESA served as business manager to Count Basie and the Basie Orchestra; two-time Tony nominee South African Playwright Mbongeni Ngema; Tony-winning actor Ben Harney (Dreamgirls); GRAMMY award-winning rock band, Living Color; singer-songwriter Me’Shell NdegéOcello; and partner with Percy Sutton in Apollo Theater Artist Management.
The GRAMMY-nominated Rivers has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Apollo Records, President of PRG Records, President and chief executive officer of Voz Entertainment Group, and President of Greenlight Films, a black-owned film company.
Rivers’ theatrical productions include a collaboration with Committed Artists South Africa, Duma Ndlovu and South African playwright Mbongeni Ngema to present the OBIE award-winning “Woza Albert!;” Tony-nominated South African play, “Asinamali,” which was executive produced on Broadway by Harry Belafonte, Miriam Makeba, Paul Simon, Hamilton Fish, and others; the Tony and GRAMMY-nominated hit Broadway musical “Sarafina;” and in partnership with Lincoln Center and The Brooklyn Academy of Music, “Township Fever.” These plays brought to light the political, social, and economic impact of apartheid in South Africa.
Discography
Voza Rivers has multiple discography credits including a writing arrangement credit for Tupac Shakur's "The Rose That Grew From Concrete Volume 1", released by Amaru Entertainment and Interscope Records in 2000. Rivers has production credits for the following: Mbongeni Ngema's "Sarafina! The Music Of Liberation" (1988); American R&B and soul artist Milira's self-titled album "Milira" (1990) and "Back Again!!!" (1992); and American singer-songwriter Paulette McWilliam's 2007 album "Flow". Rivers has also managed several artists including American singer-songwriter Joyce Sims and Milira.