My Soapbox: Rome Ntukogu

Rome Ntukogu was born and raised in Nigeria. He moved to Columbus Ohio when he was 15, and relocated to Cincinnati eleven years ago to attend UC where he got an education in Clifton -  but not just in the classroom.

As a vocalist and percussion player for a reggae band, Ntukogu got an education in the busy bar business in Uptown. He started consulting on bar operations and booking for local venues. That experience, and a love for his newly adopted city, was the foundation for his independent special events coordination company, Far-I-Rome Productions. Utilizing his connections in the local music and business communities, Ntukogu set out to connect venues, artists, and sponsors to people seeking new, diverse experiences that couldn't be found in and out of your average bar or entertainment venue.

He founded the Clifton Heights Music Festival to celebrate the neighborhood in and around his school and drive business to Uptown's many local bars.  Using established places for unique mash-ups involving local musicians - like Turntables & Snares at Grammers - or improvising art galleries and stages in artists' apartments for the Loft Series, Ntukogu and his staff have been busy building community and culture from the streets on up. He recently opened up an office on Main Street in OTR to headquarter Far-I-Rome Productions.

Q: What was the inspiration for Far-I-Rome?

Ntukogu: I was studying philosophy and psychology at UC and from there ventured into bar consulting, and I was a musician in a nine-piece reggae band. While doing that, I handled booking duties for some venues so my booking background ventured into Far-I-Rome. Being a longtime Clifton resident and knowing so many other people who had a true love for the city of Cincinnati, it felt right to be able to create something that gives back to the city you appreciate and more importantly, highlights it in a way that people who are unaware of the gems in this city can truly appreciate it and feel a part of it and a real affinity for Cincinnati.

Q: What have been some of the more interesting events you've worked on here?

Ntukogu: The Clifton Heights Music Festival was really one of our babies that we wanted to see come to fruition. Living in Clifton and seeing the decline of arts community in the area, we felt the need to create something to draw attention and positive energy to the area. It was a celebration of community and not just music and art. Being able to do that and draw thousands of people to a transitory neighborhood in transition. The first was in 2009, one night 4 venues, and it grew exponentially from there. The last two years drew 5,000 people.

Another was Turntables & Snares. The idea was to bridge the gap between live bands and DJs. A band would give a DJ a 45 minute set and they would listen to it, recreate it, and practice with the band and perform with the band live that night. It helped show the legitimacy of the art of DJ'ing and also allow bands who are interested in experimenting and stretching themselves musically in the local scene to do it well. The vibe was amazing.

Q: You've also programmed events in some more non-traditional spaces. What was the Loft Series?

Ntukogu: The Loft Series stemmed from conversations I was having with a local artist who wanted to get into galleries but found it tricky as a new artist to find places to show their work. So I suggested she turn her spot into a gallery. I discovered people need to find avenues to express themselves outside of their institutions that are set up in our urban communities. Why not turn your apartment into a stage and or a gallery for one night? We did our first one this February. My favorite part of that experience, though, was knowing that someone actually lived there and this was someone's living room that I'm now dancing in. And to turn around and meet that person and develop a relationship, that's the community part.

Q: Next week you're hosting the second OTR Final Friday Skate which is part roller disco, part video exhibition, and its even a fundraiser of sorts. Tell me a little about how that came about?

Ntukogu: One of my employees, Caitlin Behle, who lives in OTR, believed in this to the point no one could tell her that this could not work! We worked hard to promote it in such positive way. That was something we felt a real strong passion for - being able to bring attention to the OTR Recreation Center (a portion of proceeds from the adult skate benefits the Center). The OTR community is such a burgeoning community for the public to enjoy but so many people outside of those in the know are unaware you can find so many different outlets in the community.

Q: What about Cincinnati makes you able to stage these types of events and grow so quickly in a couple of short years?

Ntukogu: Cincinnati is a city that you make it what you want it to be. Your experiences in Cincinnati are based on how willing you are to step outside of the box and discover the city. We find these opportunities because we go out of our way to look for opportunities and look for places that need the kind of work we do and approach it from the point of view of someone who is already set on Cincinnati. This is a perfect city to do that. If you're truly about showing love to the city, you'll find like minded individuals here.

Q: Any plans to take your business national?

Ntukogu: Our focus is strictly on growing it here in Cincinnati. I'd rather succeed here and help others build what they want to build in Cincinnati. I ask all my employees, "what do you want to see Cincinnati become and are you willing to work for that goal?" The each have an idea of what they want, so while they're working on our projects, they also bring their own ideas to the table to fulfill their vision of Cincinnati.

Photography by Scott Beseler.
Rome Ntukogu
Leyla Shokoohe, Evan Wallis, Rome Ntugoku, Rob Mohan, Caitlin Behle (L-R)
Caitlin Behle, Evan Wallis,Leyla Shokoohe, Rob Mohan, and Rome Ntukogu (L-R)
Rome Ntukogu