Global InformationMC Opi information
MC Opi | |
|---|---|
 MC Opi | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Janette Oparebea Nelson |
| Born | 10 April 1971 Chelsea, London, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Hip hop, dancehall, industrial, dub, trip hop, deep house, progressive house, electronica, electroacoustic, experimental, dark ambient, circuit bending |
| Instrument(s) | Bass guitar, drums, piano, celtic harp |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | Mushroom Australia, EMI, PolyGram, Warner Bros. Records, Phonogram, Wintrup Musikverlage |
| Website | opinelson |
Janette Oparebea Nelson (born 10 April 1971), known by her stage names MC Opi[1][2][3] and Opi Nelson[4][5] is a multi-instrumentalist, spoken word artist, music and documentary producer.
The Monthly, Australia's popular magazine of politics, society and culture, wrote Nelson "blazed a trail as a producer and guest artist...".[2][6]
She is most known for being the first female music artist to receive national recognition in Australia for a Hip Hop and Dancehall performance as a guest artist on the Christine Anu[7] (ARIA award-winning Australian indigenous singer and songwriter) and Paul Kelly[8][9][10][11][12][13] (a prolific ARIA Award-winning Australian folk singer and songwriter), 1994 ARIA nominated, single, "Last Train".[14][15] Later she was both a writer and guest performer on Anu's award-winning 1995 ARIA Best Indigenous Release, ARIA Platinum Album and voted one of the 50 Best Debut Albums by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Double J Radio Station in September 2020 Stylin Up.[16][17][18][19]
Nelson was a well known local Sydney live independent spoken word artist and producer[2] before she met Christine Anu, whilst acting in a cast of eight, alongside Christine Anu and Barry Otto[20] (AFI Awarded Australian actor), in the 1993 musical theatrical production The Trials of Brother Jero[21] written by Nigerian Nobel Prize playwright Wole Soyinka.[22]
Before "Last Train's" success in 1994, she was known for her work in Australian dance music TV and radio. She was one of the first music artists to be a reporter and assistant producer on the first Australian dance music show SBS TV's 'MC Tee Vee'[23] and Alternative Arts Show 'The Noise'[24] (produced by one of Australia's prolific TV producers, Annette Shun Wah[25]). Her MC Tee Vee interviews included The Beastie Boys,[26] Lucky Dube[27] and others.
At the age of 19 years, she co-produced, with Jaslyn Hall[28][29](Triple J[30] and Womadelaide[31] producer), the 1991 Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio documentary 'Women on the Rhyme' the first ABC radio documentary about Australian female hip hop artists. This documentary featured interviews with Charlene (Def Wish Cast), No.1 Jamaican & US female Dancehall artist Shelly Thunder, New Zealand Hip Hop Group Moana and the Moahunters and others.
- ^ Goldsmith, Melissa Ursula Dawn; Fonseca, Anthony J. (2018). Hip Hop around the World: An Encyclopedia [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-35759-6.
- ^ a b c "'Iggy Azelea in Bikini Wasteland' The Monthly Magazine". Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ Nikos, Papastergiadis (1 July 2016). Ambient Screens and Transnational Public Spaces. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 9789888208920.
- ^ Papastergiadis, Nikos (July 2016). Ambient Screens and Transnational Public Spaces. Hong Kong University Press. ISBN 9789888208920.
- ^ "Opi Nelson Official Website". Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "'About' The Monthly Magazine". 5 January 2007. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
- ^ "Christine Anu Australian Broadcasting Corporation". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "ABC Radio Paul Kelly". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 September 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- ^ "Penguin Books Paul Kelly". Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- ^ "Guardian Newspaper Paul Kelly". TheGuardian.com. 6 September 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- ^ "Paul Kelly The Movie". Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- ^ "Paul Kelly Allmusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Paul Kelly BBC News Entertainment". BBC News. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "ARIA Awards 1994". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 4 December 2013.
- ^ "Paul Kelly Discography, Single 1993 Last Train Toasting by Oparabea Janet Obiri-Nelson". Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ "Stylin UP ARIA". Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "'Stylin Up' Writers". Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "ARIA Chart Accreditations 2000 Platinum 'Stylin Up". Retrieved 10 September 2014.
- ^ Opi, Nelson. "ABC Double J Radio". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Barry Otto imdb". IMDb. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "The Trials of Brother Jero 1993: Australian & New Zealand Theatre Record January 1993". Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ "Wole Soyinka Biography". Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "SBS TV MC TEE VEE". 30 June 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "SBS TV 'The Noise'". Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Annette Shun Wah ABC'". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 January 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Beastie Boys Allmusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Lucky Dube Allmusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Jaslyn Hall ABC". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Jaslyn Hall City of Sydney NY2002". Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "Australian Broadcasting Corporation Triple J". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "A brief History of Womadelaide Arts Hub". Retrieved 19 August 2014.