our roots

Black Women in Opera (B.W.I.O.), LLC, founded January 3, 2020, is a company organized and operated by Renee Namakau Ombaba in Washington, DC. I founded B.W.I.O. to educate the public on the past and present achievements of Black women opera singers. B.W.I.O. serves as a source of community for Black women opera singers. Through subscription, these women can find encouragement and solace among other Black women who share their passions, obstacles, and triumphs. 

I started the instagram account for B.W.I.O. in February 2019 to highlight current and past Black opera divas such as Leontyne Price, Reri Grist, Angel Blue and Pretty Yende. The twenty-eight days of February were not enough to educate my followers on the glorious opera careers of many Black women. Since there were no online communities of this kind and many opera accounts did not highlight Black artists, I created B.W.I.O. 's instagram as an independent account to celebrate my love for opera and the Black artists that paved the way.  Many of my first followers were young Black opera singers looking to share in the celebration of our foremothers. The account recharged their dreams and encouraged them to share their gifts more freely on the internet. I empathize with these young singers remembering the hopelessness I felt as an undergraduate vocal performance major. I thought that if I did not have the voice of Ms. Price or Ms. Norman, I would not be successful in opera. However, as I learned about the many Black opera divas with a wide variety of voice types, I learned to love my own voice. The page has grown to remarkable heights and provides a safe and loving community for young artists to find confidence in their own voice and see possibilities for a rich and fulfilling career.

Black Women in Opera (B.W.I.O.), LLC serves its audience by sharing information vital to the success of opera singers such as information on auditions, workshops, and upcoming performances. In order to prepare the next generation of opera lovers, B.W.I.O. offers educational information on opera and classical arts to young people. In addition, B.W.I.O. sells merchandise to its audience via the website blackwomeninopera.com/shop. B.W.I.O. also creates original programming and content that highlights the goals of the company including but not limited to interviews with Opera stars, television and web series on Black opera singers, hosting events and recitals, and creating educational content in the form of videos or booklets.