Namvula is a singer and songwriter whose artistic journey is an exploration of cultural intersections and heartfelt storytelling. Her music reflects the nuances and complexities of her mixed Zambian and Scottish heritage, and a restlessness born of her diasporic upbringing.
Namvula takes inspiration from the deep grooves of Africa, the lyrical sensibility of folk-pop, and the improvisational freedom of jazz. She sings about the beauty and ugliness of life, its creativity, its tenderness and cruelty. The inspiring stories and influences of strong women who populate her lineage have informed her interest in and sensitivity to politics including feminism, the climate emergency, and migration.
Namvula’s debut album, Shiwezwa, was released in 2014 to critical acclaim, including being selected as one of The Sunday Times’ top 100 albums of the year. Her 2017 concept album, Quiet Revolutions, was dubbed “a contemporary masterpiece” by Jazz FM. Namvula’s EP All Shades of the Sun was released on Friday 29th September 2023.
At the core, Namvula is a storyteller with an over-arching hope in our capacity as humans to touch each other’s hearts and to fill the world with a little more grace, and a little more love.
