A Vibrant Evening With Mon Rovîa
By Eleanor Harris
On August 31, folk artist Mon Rovîa took the stage at The Sinclair with skill and joy, his ukulele plugged into the sound system and his clear voice filling the space. Following the talented opener Tish Melton, Mon Rovîa’s presence and artistry established a safe, peaceful atmosphere.
Born in Liberia and adopted in childhood to a family in Tennessee, the folk singer identifies with both his African and Appalachian roots as he tours under a stage name he shares with the capital city of Liberia. Supported by band members Sam Hudgens and Tyler Martelli, Mon Rovîa’s music offers a soft, meditative poetry infused with deep, loving care, informed by his lived experiences in both the United States and Liberia. His voice can only be described as warm and hearing him sing makes one feel safe, seen, and understood.
As a performer and storyteller, Mon Rovîa extends love freely and unsparingly to his audience. Before he sang “Outlaw for Your Love,” Mon Rovîa addressed us by saying, “Thank you all for seeing me. I love you guys.” This message inspired the kind of energy exchange that really makes a concert special, giving the audience explicit permission to let our love spring forward. Mon Rovîa introduced the song “To Watch the World Spin Without You” by recounting an experience that jeopardized his life. It was a personal, traumatic, powerful story which he told with remarkable sensitivity, and his choice to share it with us heightened the intimacy of the evening. Even with the most solemn subjects, Mon Rovîa communicates emotional depth and tragedy while simultaneously connecting with his fans through humor and light-heartedness.
Mon Rovîa played a delightful mix of music from his discography. The soft love song “Garden Gate” flowed sweetly through the speakers while the inquisitive “Cleopatra” prompted the crowd to sway in time and bounce to the beat. Mon Rovîa welcomed back to the stage the evening’s opener, Tish Melton, their voices complementing one other nicely as they sang in unison and harmony. At the end of the concert, Mon Rovîa taught us the lines to an unreleased song called “Rust.” We all sang it together, our voices rising with his. How beautiful it is that, while most of the people in the theater were strangers to me, we are all now connected by this shared experience.
The encore was, fittingly, “Big Love Ahead.” It points trustingly to where we are going, reminding us that the good is waiting. On a personal note, this was the first of his songs I played on WZLY. Hearing it live felt like a full circle moment for me as I started my senior year.
Mon Rovîa creates a space for being intentionally here, intentionally now; a space for appreciation, reflection, and felicity. He and his music bring people together, honor universal humanness, and offer abundant inspiration. Keep your eye out for music releases, merch drops, and tour dates –– you don’t want to miss Mon Rovîa.
