Events Calendar
|
Latest Issue
|
Membership
|
Log In Sign Up
  • Play

    Play

    • A Beginner’s Guide to Soccer
    • You Spin Me Right Round: D.C. Roller Skating 101 in 2021
    • Leading the League: The WNBA’s Natasha Cloud on Breaking Barriers + Inspiring D.C.
    • Spring Has Sprung: 10 Ways To Get Outside in the DMV
    • Play Week Combines Games + Social Impact
    • High and Go Seek Illustration
    • O Captain, My Captain: Washington Spirit’s Andi Sullivan
  • Life

    Life

    • Local Entrepreneurs Infuse CBD into Wellness
    • 19 Entrepreneurs Shaping D.C.’s Cannabis + CBD Industries
    • Upcycling in D.C.: Transforming a Culture of Consumption
    • The Green Issue: Experts + Advocates Make Case for Cannabis Legalization + Decriminalization
    • The District Derp Story
    • Grassfed Media Champions Cannabis Clients
    • Nat Geo Explorer Gabrielle Corradino on Plankton, the Anacostia + Conservation
  • Eat

    Eat

    • The State of Takeout in the District
    • A New Twist on Food Delivery: MisenBox
    • Next-Level Home Dining Experiences in D.C.
    • Foxtrot Market Is Officially Open for Business in Georgetown
    • Food Rescue + Assistance Programs Fill the Gaps in a Pandemic Food System
    • Hungry Harvest Helps to End Food Insecurity
    • Notable Summer Bar + Restaurant Reopenings to Try this Spring
  • Drink

    Drink

    • Pandemic Drinking: Derek Brown Leads the Way to Low-ABV Future
    • D.C.’s St. Vincent Wine Creates Covid-Conscious Experience
    • A New Way to Binge: Sobriety Anchors Business + Being for Gigi Arandid
    • King’s Ransom + The Handover in Alexandria Celebrate a First Year Like No Other
    • Wines of the World Are Just Around the Corner
    • Open-Air Drinking + Cocktail Delivery Changes in the DMV
    • Denizens Brewing Co.’s Emily Bruno: Brewing Change for Community + Industry
  • Culture

    Culture

    • The Artistry Behind D.C.’s Cannabis Culture
    • The Best Movies of 2021…So Far
    • The Survival of the Brutalist: D.C.’s Complicated Concrete Legacy
    • Plain Sight: A Street-Front Revolution in Radical Arts Accessibility
    • A Touch of Danger in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s “Romeo & Juliet”
    • Artgence + Homme: Where There’s Art, There’s a Story to Share
    • 21 D.C. Makers + Curators to Follow
  • Music

    Music

    • Emma G Talks Wammie Nominations and the D.C. Music Community
    • J’Nai Bridges: A Modern Mezzo-Soprano in a Changing Opera Landscape
    • Punk Legends The Go-Go’s Talk Four Decades of Sisterhood, Resilience + Zero Fucks Given
    • Ellen Reid “Soundwalk:” Exploring the Sonic Landscape at Wolf Trap
    • SHAED Releases First Full-Length Album in a “High Dive” of Faith
    • Obama + Springsteen Present “Renegades”
    • Christian Douglas Uses His “Inside Voice” on Pandemic-Inspired Debut Album
  • Events

    Events

    • Play Week 4.17-4.25
    • Midnight at The Never Get 4.30-6.21
    • Cannabis City Panel Presented by BĀkT DC + District Fray
    • Browse Events
    • DC Polo Society Summer Sundays 5.9
    • National Cannabis Festival’s Dazed & Amused Drive-In Party
    • Vinyl + Vinyasa 4.30
  • Log In
    Sign Up

Log In Sign Up
True Luxury: Afternoon Tea in D.C.
The Kennedy Center’s RiverRun Festival Inspires Aliveness
“Angels in America” Flies Into Arena Stage
Global Appetite: Chinatown
STABLE Arts Shakes Up the D.C. Arts Scene
Shout, Sister, Shout!
Ford’s Theatre Celebrates Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Home » Articles » Music » Laura Mvula Evokes Emotion and Vulnerability at Sixth & I

Music

Photo: www.lauramvula.com

Laura Mvula Evokes Emotion and Vulnerability at Sixth & I

Share:

February 23, 2017 @ 12:00am | Jamie McCrary

Listening to Laura Mvula is a powerful and intensely personal experience. The British soul singer’s voice is raw with emotion and vulnerability, inspiring listeners to reach inside, question what’s there and embrace what they find.

Her performance at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Chinatown last week was no less than moving. I sat in the audience wondering how Mvula could possibly communicate her inner experience so poignantly – and identify with mine as well. Mvula has a curiously melded style that heightens this emotional connection. Her songs are reminiscent of soulful R&B tunes mixed with jazz and classical, offering a diverse musical and emotional experience.

“Show Me Love” is the epitome of her creatively mixed – and highly expressive – style. Mvula uses strings, vibraphone, guitar and celeste to create a sound that is both ambient and soulful. Maybe it was the song’s intimate atmosphere, or its mournful tone, but her performance moved me in a profound and deeply personal way.

And you showed me love of the deepest kind
And I will never find another love like you
Showed me love
And now I see

Her chorus echoes enormous heartbreak and longing – feelings we can all identify with on varying levels. The sound is about loss, regret and uninhibited musical expression. “Show Me Love” isn’t something you just listen to. It’s an artistic experience that you feel, through and through.

I know I’m not alone in my sentiment. As I observed the audience during Mvula’s performance, it was clear she moved them deeply too. Every set of eyes was transfixed on her throughout the concert. The atmosphere in the hall was almost prayer-like at times, meditative and thick with human emotion.

Her stage presence – sometimes serious, sometimes humorous, but always authentic – only heightens her appeal. Throughout the concert, she continuously addressed the audience, sharing personal anecdotes that further connected her to listeners.

“Last time I performed ‘Show Me Love,’ I lost it – and I don’t mean one single sexy tear,” Mvula joked onstage. “I mean a nasty, hot mess where I’m just all over the place.”

It’s this fearless honesty and wit that humanizes her. Mvula isn’t afraid to be wholly who she is, and laugh at herself for it too. She encourages us all to face ourselves and own what we discover.

If you haven’t seen Laura Mvula live, do it ASAP. She’ll leave you feeling contemplative, connected and fulfilled – something every music lover needs to experience.

Learn more about Laura Mvula and her upcoming performances here.

Read more about Sixth and I’s performance schedule here.

Share:

Related Articles

No Articles

DISTRICT FRAY MEMBERSHIPS

District Fray members receive unlimited access to our digital content, including new articles published daily. We also have membership options available for locals interested in our print magazine, member events, or first-access tickets and giveaways.

Join Today
COMPANY
About United Fray Team Hiring: Join Our Team!
GET INVOLVED
Become A Member 2023 Media Kit 2023 Editorial Calendar Corporate Wellness Contact: Media Pitches + Advertising Inquiries
EXPLORE
Eat Drink Music Culture Life Play Events Calendar
OUR CITIES
Washington D.C. Jacksonville Phoenix
Subscribe

By clicking submit, you agree to receive emails from District Fray and accept our web terms of use and privacy and cookie policy.

© 2023 District Fray.