John Dayo-Aliya is a Poet/Actor/Singer and Playwright from Akron, Ohio. He studied Classical and Jazz Vocal Performance, English Literature and Pan-African Studies at Kent State University where he was a recipient of the renowned Ronald E. McNair Scholarship for baccalaureate academic achievement. He was the first-runner up in the 2010 Northeast Ohio Umuji poetry slam. His poetry, short-stories and journalistic contributions have also been published in Uhuru Magazine, Pop Matters and Jezebelmusic.com. As a performing poet he has recited in legendary venues such as; New York City’s Nuyorican Poetry Café and Bowery Room poetry series. He was a featured performer in the 2011 poetry series Live From The Poets Havenas a part of Duo Here Be Dragons. He has appeared as an opening act for HBO’s Def Poetry Jam performers: Black Ice, Sunni Patterson, Shihan and Black Arts Movement figurehead’s The Last Poets. In 2011 his first dramatic work written for the stage, Daybreak’s Children, was produced by Head’s Up Productions. He is also Co-Artistic Directer/ Playwright in residence Ma’ Sue productions. Though the company he has produced self penned plays A Happening on Imperial and O Patria Mia. As an actor Dayo-Aliya has performed in touring productions of The Wiz, Guys and Dolls, Moliere’s Tartuffe (A Comedy of Manner’s), Inherit The Wind, Godspell, Corpus Christi, Euripides’ The Bacchae, Big River, Seven Guitars and many other community and education based performances. He has also performed as a classical Baritone/Tenor in many operatic recitals.