Friday Night: Laura Mvula

Laura Mvula (née Douglas), 27, is a British soul singer-songwriter from the U.K. Her debut album Sing to the Moon was released in March 2013. In 2005, Mvula sang with an a cappella group set up by her aunt. In 2008, she formed a jazz/neo-soul group called Judyshouse, singing lead vocals and wrote material for the band. She is also Director of a Community Gospel Choir, founded by Black Voices. While she was working as a supply teacher in a Birmingham secondary school, she started writing songs on her laptop. She was working as a receptionist when she sent out two demos to several people in the music industry. The Guardian described her music as “gospeldelia”, calling it a new musical genre.  In December 2012, Mvula was shortlisted for the Critics’ Choice award at the 2013 BRIT Awards. In December 2012, she was nominated for the BBC’s Sound of 2013 poll, and finished in fourth position.  (Source: Wiki)

• Laura Mvula Official Web Site
• Album on iTunes: Sing to the Moon