Narrator: Daniel's Music Foundation presents, a Just Call Me By My Name Artist: Iolanta Mamatkazina, from New York, NY.
Description: A young woman in a yellow dress is singing on an indoor stage, in front of a large stone hearth. She has long brown hair, and dark glasses.
Iolanta: O mio babbino caro, mi piace, è bello, bello
Description: Iolanta, sitting in a blue classroom, with guitars and musical instruments in the background.
Iolanta: My name is Iolanta Mamatkazina, and I am a singer. Music means a lot to me, because whenever I'm sad, and whenever I just want to sing and get my emotions out, I feel like I can tell the world, and the world can understand me through music
When I'm singing, I feel extraordinary--If the crowd likes it, I like it. And, I feel free, and I just feel I can express my own feelings in the song
Description: Iolanta performing at Symphony Space concert hall in NYC, during the 2022 Danny Awards.
Iolanta: Con te partirò, su navi per mari, che, io lo so, no, no, non esistono pi--Io con te
Description: A brief clip of a younger Iolanta playing piano next to an adult woman
Iolanta: I started playing piano when I was four, and that's how I mastered my pitch, and my rhythm. After piano, I started singing.
Description: A photo of a younger Iolanta holding a microphone and singing
At first I thought that it was going to be difficult, since I couldn't see what the person was doing, and how he was teaching. Sometimes my opera teacher would show me how to sing, and how to open my mouth, how to position. And, it was pretty hard, but I overcame it
Description: Iolanta's mother Ekaterina, sitting in the blue classroom. She has light brown hair, and is wearing a shirt made with several shades of reflective material
Ekaterina: This is her talent, this is her discipline, this is hard work. This is my pressure...My husband's pressure--'cause we pushed her.
Description: Ekaterina holding a younger Iolanta up, in front of the Cyclone roller coaster in Coney Island. There is a rainbow in the sky.
Ekaterina: My point--make her life independent for everything
Iolanta: It is difficult when people underestimate me. One thing I wish people would stop doing, is trying to help me when I don't need help. I appreciate their assistance, but sometimes we don't need help, unless we ask for it
The things I wish people would start doing, is ask me about what I go through, so that they have a better understanding of my life, and so that they can share with other people what I go through.
Ekaterina: When new kids come in, and like, "oh, you're blind--not interesting". 'Cause like, think like, she's not interesting, 'cause not, you know, like she can't play together--she can't talk about some games. But just when [Iolanta] starts singing, all kids--shocked, because nobody can do same, like she
Description: Photo of a very young Iolanta using a braille workbook.
Iolanta: It took me about five years to learn how to read in braille. The way I learned music without being able to read it in a traditional way, I just listened to the singer, and the artist. I could pick up the melody pretty quickly--all I need to learn is the lyrics, that I can write down in braille, and I'm good to go
Ekaterina: When she sits down for the piano, and starts very fast playing, vision kids then said, "oh my goodness, she never do it wrong, but she is blind--why?"
Description: Clips of Iolanta on a charter bus, and at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, where she is seen performing, and dancing near the stage.
Iolanta: Joining a label for musicians with disabilities is important to me, because I wanna show the world that just because you're blind and disabled, doesn't mean you can't follow your passion
Description: Iolanta, standing in front of the Bethel Woods stage.
Iolanta: I feel very excited, and a little bit nervous, but I feel mostly excited, and I can't wait to connect with the crowd.
Iolanta (Singing): Sì, sì, ci voglio andare
Iolanta: The song that I included in the EP is "O Mio Babbino Caro". I chose that song, because it has a lot of love and passion in it.
Description: Photos of an infant Iolanta in a hospital bed, with various tubes and monitoring equipment attached to her.
Ekaterina: When Iolanta is nine months old, we have diagnosis for cancer--retinoblastoma. This is for both eyes--both retina. After first chemistry [surgery], she get blind. My friend called me and very strong said: "Ekaterina, you read opera 'Iolanta' by Tchaikovsky"
I never read--I never know about this story. She said, "this is opera about blind princess--you need change her name"
Iolanta: It's relatable to my story, how she became blind, and how she found her true love: The prince that helped her get her sight back. And the reason why I want to sing that aria, is because I feel like singing gives me a lot of hope, and I like that about singing
Ekaterina: I believe for Disney story, I believe for miracle--It's real doctors coming, make the operation, And Iolanta start vision again
Iolanta (Singing): Babbo, pietà, pietà...Babbo, pietà, pietà
[Audience applause]
Iolanta: Thank you!
Narrator: Visit danielsmusic.org/recordlabel to learn more, stream, or download today. Daniel's Music Foundation: Changing Lives Through Music Since 2006.