British singer Laura Mvula is known for her soulful voice and innovative mix of R&B jazz, jazz, classical, pop, and classical. Mvula was born in 1986. Her mother, who was originally from Saint Kitts, and her father, who was from Jamaica, raised her. Mvula was introduced to jazz by her father at the age of eight. She then took piano lessons and began violin lessons at the age of ten. Mvula was a member of local youth orchestras as a child and later became inspired by Disney films to become a film composer.
Mvula started listening to gospel and R&B music in her teens and joined Black Voices, her aunt’s acappella group. She graduated from high school with a degree of composition. After graduating from high school, she worked as a supply teacher and a receptionist in Birmingham. During this time, she began to write songs on her laptop. Kwame Kwaten, Mvula’s manager, was impressed by her demo tapes and helped her sign a recording deal at RCA.
In September 2012, She was Mvula’s debut EP. Mvula’s debut EP, She, was released in September 2012. Her debut album, Sing To the Moon, was released in 2013. The album received praise and reached number nine in the U.K., launching many singles, including “Green Garden,” which reached number 31 on the singles charts. Mvula was also nominated for the Mercury Prize and received MOBO Awards in the categories Best Female Act and Best R&B/Soul Artist.
She recorded Laura Mvula in 2014 with Metropole Orkest. It was an orchestral reworking and recording of Sing to the Moon at Abbey Road Studios. Her second studio album, The Dreaming Room was released two years later. It featured collaborations with Wretch 32 and the legendary R&B guitarist Nile Rodgers.