MOBO Awards 2013 - VOTE NOW!

...and for those of you who do not know what MOBO stands for, it is Music of Black Origin.
Laura Mvula  is up for five awards.  Laura and the band (with my youngest daughter Iona on harp/vocals) will be playing at the Awards Ceremony at 9pm on BBC3 this Saturday 20th October , and 11.15 pm on BBC1 on Sunday 21st.

There is still just time to vote for Laura at   http://www.mobo.com/voting2013

For a reminder of her fabulous songs, here are the band on last month's North American tour performing on the David Letterman Show ...

and in Chicago...

Unfortunately the videos from the Today show in New York, and the Jimmy Kinmel Show no longer seem to be available.

For those of you who are in North America, watch out for their November tour which may be coming to a venue near you!  - link to schedule as follows   http://www.lauramvula.com/events

STOP PRESS - LAURA MVULA WINNER OF MOBO BEST FEMALE ARTIST AND BEST R & B / SOUL AWARD!!

Laura beat Jessie J and Rita Ora in the MOBO Best Female Performance 2013 group.   I will put a link to the MOBO ceremony later in the week.

I can't Get No Satisfaction........

....as the Rolling Stones belted out last night on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.   But plenty of satisfaction for youngest daughter Iona, performing on the same stage earlier in the day in Laura Mvula's band - here is a Iona's eye view .......

 

Link to Laura's set  ..... Laura Mvula Glastonbury 2013

 

..... and they even got to hobnob with the Stones backstage afterwards............

 

Playing the part and mooching round Glastonbury like a rock star with her minders...actually fellow musicians James and Karl ..............

 

 

 

On Wednesday she collected the new electro-acoustic harp especially made for her by Pilgrim Harps

 

 

She is delighted with it but has yet to play it in a performance - she decided Glastonbury two days later might not be the best time for a maiden trial!

 

Iona the little Marble

Video of my little girl playing to an audience of 10,000 at the O2 Arena in Laura Mvula's band.  Look out for her singing and clapping next to her harp on the left.   Paloma Faith was the other artiste at this venue.

This coming Saturday 29th June at 2.00pm they will be performing on the Pyramid Stage (the main stage) at Glastonbury as one of the supporting acts before the Stones in the evening!
Watch out for them - Iona will be playing the new electric harp she has been sponsored by Pilgrim Harps and which she is collecting mid week!   Looking at the TV Guide, Laura is specifically scheduled to be on BBC3 between 7 - 8pm on Saturday evening, although there is also coverage of the festival on BBC2.

Jamming With Jools

Watch out for daughter Iona backing Laura Mvula on Later Live with Jools Holland on Tuesday evening 9th April.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ry2h4   She just happened to mention it in passing as is her wont.  There is an extended version on Friday evening April 12th.  Life is all go for her at the moment, and after flying back from a music festival in Texas, rehearsing all week, driving up to a personal gig in Scotland and rolling in at 5am to spend Easter Sunday with the family, she has been performing in Holland with the band.   Among other things they are booked in for the Isle of Wight festival, and Glastonbury on the famous Pyramid Stage, same as the Rolling Stones!

By comparison, my star billing at the Feathers Inn in Aberaeron giving a slide show talk about the Long Horse Ride to the Ceredigion Bridleways Group last Thursday rather pales into insignificance.   However I am making a serious foray into the realms of journalism by writing my first remunerated article for a magazine in China. The commercial side of my was galvanised into life when they stated they wanted 3000 words by the end of next week. No way Jose unless the renminbi are on the table. Onwards and upwards.

Stop Press on Wednesday: Link below to Later Live with Jools Holland episode I, featuring Iona and legs with Laura.  I think only available for a week so hurry hurry hurry if you want to see it.
Green Garden at 4.55 minutes in, and closing programme at 26.15 when Iona gets to plink her harp.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01ry2h4/Later_Live_with_Jools_Holland_Series_42_Episode_1/

Iona on Comic relief

Link to Laura Mvula's appearance on Comic Relief's Big Chat with Graham Norton aired on Thursday 7th March :-
Laura Mvula on Big Chat with Graham Norton
Laura is on towards the beginning, about 4.30 minutes into the programme.    Look out for Iona the Happy clapper on the left!   No harps this time.

And while you are at it, look further on in the show at the film of One Direction visiting the Nairobi slums. This is 51.10 minutes into pt 3 of the show.
And also at Russell Brand in Kibera 3 years ago Comic Relief's Big Chat with Graham Norton (at 1:33.48).

This should help to remind you that our beneficiary charity ChallengeAid raises money to help educate children in the Nairobi slums exactly like those portrayed in the films above.   And the joy of donating to this charity is that ALL the money raised goes directly to the projects supported - NONE goes to administration, which is covered by separate sponsorship.

Click on the following link to see a DVD about the work done by ChallegeAid (formerly Schoolchildren For Children) in Korogocho and Kibera.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5w8vSjKg5g

If you would like to donate to this extremely worthy cause, you can do so via my The Long Horse Ride Justgiving page at  http://www.justgiving.com/meganlonghorseride/