Mon Rovia, September 12

Thursday, September 12, 6 p.m.

Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA

A Liberian-born/Tennessee-based artist whose acclaimed style is informed by lyrical pop and traditions of his native West Africa, indie-folk singer/songwriter Mon Rovia headlines a September 12 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, his Thursday-evening set sure to demonstrate why Buzz-Music hailed the performer as "an artist like no other."

As stated at AllMusic.com, "Mon Rovîa was born Janjay Lowe in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. He was just seven years old when he was adopted by American Christian missionaries during the Second Liberian Civil War of the late '90s. Growing up, he moved several times with his family, living first in Florida, then Montana, and the Bahamas. Along the way, he was exposed to a Christian pop and worship music. However, it was at age 13 that a foster sibling introduced him to indie pop and artists like Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, and Passion Pit. He started playing guitar and was soon writing his own songs.

"After high school, Lowe moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to attend university. It was there that he began digging deeper into his music, crafting songs that found him coming to terms with the trauma of his youth, his survivor's guilt over having grown up away from the violence of his home country, and his hope for a better future for everyone. He eventually reached out to a former university friend, artist and label manager Eric Cromartie, who encouraged him to keep pursuing his music and helped develop his career. Adopting the stage name Mon Rovîa as a tribute to his birthplace, Lowe began posting videos on social media, where he went viral and developed a large following.

"In 2021, he released his debut album Dark Continent, which found him expanding his sonic palette, blending his intimate acoustic songs with atmospheric electronics. In 2023, Mon Rovîa returned with the EPs Act 1: The Wandering and Act 2: Trials. More songs followed, including the singles 'Cleopatra,' 'Outlaw for Your Love,' and 'City on a Hill.'" Another Rovia song landed this past March in "Don't Lose a Good Thing," which Two Story Melody praised as "a mature kind of love song, one that takes change into account and chooses to find a way back."

Mon Rovia headlines his Davenport engagement on September 12 with an additional set by Tish Melton, admission to the 6 p.m. concert is $27.78, and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.