“I wanted more legitimacy in the professional music business world,” she explained. “Having a company name and entity adds credibility and allows me to market and brand my business and what I do.” When she isn’t running her company, Martha works as assistant to the president of Loyola University. But some of her best work comes from her activism in the community that raised her. Known as “Mid-City Martha” to some, Martha hosts a radio show on WHIV/102.3FM. “WHIV stands for ‘We Honor Independent Voices.’ I love them because, not only have they given me the opportunity to live a dream, they also represent the community by being dedicated to human rights, social justice and ending ALL wars.” So far, Martha has interviewed many activists, organizations and public figures, including people on the ground at Standing Rock, North Dakota; Mardi Gras Indians, activists from the LGBT community; and, of course, some of her favorite musicians. As Martha’s status began to blossom so did a career in one of her most passionate hobbies - writing. “I’ve always kept journals, dream journals and I’ve always liked to write myself affirmations,” she said. Her natural gift for writing allowed her to blend it with her other passion:, music. “I started out writing bios for musicians. The first one I wrote was for my dear friend, Big Chief Alfred Doucette, and almost 13 years later it is still being used,” Martha said. From there Martha has written for and worked with many greats, including Leo Nocentelli, Irma Thomas, Dave Bartholomew, Mardi Gras Indians, James Andrews, Khris Royal, The Honey Island Swamp Band, Billy Iuso and the Restless Natives, Cyril Neville, Darcy Malone, Johnny Vidacovich, and many others. “I seem to have a talent for vividly describing events and music scenes,” she said. In 2009 Martha became a music writer for NewOrleans.com. The following year she started her own column, “Rhythm of the City/Ritmo de la Ciudad,” which can be found in El Tiempo, a bilingual publication in the greater New Orleans area. In recent years, Martha put her company and her skills on the map by producing two of the city’s biggest jazz second-lines, for Prince and former New Orleans Saint Will Smith. “Both were amazing for two different reasons,” Martha said. The Will Smith second-line helped raise awareness about the gun violence problem in New Orleans. “The fact that he was a Saint added to the popularity of it,” Martha said. “I met countless family members who had lost a son, daughter or grandkids to gun violence and we are sick of it.” As for the Prince second-line, Martha noted, “It was very organic. I didn’t know how many people to expect and when I showed up at the beginning of it, all I could see was a sea of purple from Broad Street to Claiborne.” Martha is still making waves in her career with no intentions of stopping anytime soon. She is currently working toward finishing her Bachelor’s degree at Loyola University and moving on to graduate school with the goal of a Masters in Music Therapy. However, despite a growing resume that proves she is a hardworking force to be reckoned with, Martha admits that with every accomplishment there is a bit of sacrifice. Between working full time at Loyola, finishing a degree, being a single mother, doing a radio show and having a music event production company, “The biggest challenge is not having enough time in a day,” Martha acknowledged. “Sleep is not one of my top priorities, although it should be.” But, despite it all, she wouldn’t change a thing. The self-fulfilling rewards she receives from all of her endeavors make everything worth it. “The best advice I would give to today’s youth is to never give up on your dreams,” Martha offers. “Just do it! Stay involved in your community, focus on the positive and most importantly, believe in the good of the people.” �� MAY / J U N E 2 0 1 7 breakthrumediamagazine.com | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | 13
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