Mon Rovîa is a Liberian-born, Chattanooga-based artist that is sharing stories of resilience and connecting listeners to a genre most are not familiar with: Afro Appalachian Folk. Mon Rovîa, his stage name, pays tribute to his birthplace, Liberia’s capital city. During Liberia’s Civil War – one of the deadliest wars in Africa’s history – Mon Rovîa and his siblings were adopted and moved to the United States, where they grew up. He made his musical debut in 2021 with Dark Continent, an EP that melds electronic, pop and folk influences. Over the past three years, Mon Rovîa has released several singles and EPs, cultivated a loyal following, embarked on two headlining tours, and woven the sounds of Liberia and Afro Appalachia into the folk music landscape. Just days after the release of his newest single, “crooked the road.,” we gathered at Bowery Ballroom to experience one of Mon Rovîa’s performances.

After an opening set from the charming Tish Melton, Mon Rovîa took to the stage with just his ukulele and his band behind him. He opened the show with an unreleased track, “Wishing On A Star”. The crowd instantly fell into a captivated silence as Mon Rovîa’s dreamy vocals and textured storytelling blanketed the crowd.

Mon Rovîa delved into his musical repertoire with songs such as “Outlaw For Your Love,” and “To Watch the World Spin Without You.” Many of Mon Rovîa’s songs explore feelings of loneliness and aimlessness. Between songs, he spoke about escaping from and returning to Liberia, navigating the path towards becoming a musician, and his personal struggles with mental health. He encouraged listeners to “grow through what you go through” in songs like “Garden Gate” and likened many of life's struggles to those of Sisyphus, the figure in Greek Mythology condemned to repeatedly roll a rock up a hill only for it to fall back down, in the song “Trials.”

As the night progressed, we explored more of the poetry that is Mon Rovîa’s discography. Towards the end of his set, he welcomed Tish Melton back to the stage to join him in a performance of “City on a Hill,” the lead single from his most recent EP, Act 3: The Dying of Self. This track urges listeners to find and embrace stillness amongst the mental chaos, a recurring motif in his music. Mon Rovîa’s ability to evoke calmness is why many compare his songs to lullabies. Mon Rovîa’s tranquil melodies and serene vocals offer listeners a gateway to inner peace.

To close his set, Mon Rovîa played “Big Love Ahead” and a soon-to-be-released song called “Winter Wash 24,” inspired by his ideas on Western naivety regarding global struggles. He described awareness as “currency”, and invited those in the West to see the struggles of others as part of their individual ecosystem and therefore connected to their own personal struggles. Mon Rovîa welcomed the audience into his own introspective journey and left us not just with echoes of melodies, but with a renewed sense of inspiration to embark on our own self-guided explorations of our inner landscapes. As we witness Mon Rovîa’s growing influence in the folk music scene, we look forward to the world discovering the unique sound of Afro Appalachian folk.

Connect with Mon Rovîa on Instagram, Spotify, & TikTok.