Time sure does fly. It has already been a month since the Canadian music awards show known as The Juno Awards has come and gone. Even though some sand has slipped through the hourglass of my life, I still have some vivid memories from that show. The memory that remains freshest in my mind is how so many new Canadian music stars took star turns that night and how diverse their backgrounds were. (If you want to read a post I wrote about these young up and comers, click here). Out of all of the young singers and musicians who appeared on the Junos broadcast, the one who impressed me the most was a singer who goes by the name Lu Kala. I hope that today's post will serve as a formal introduction of this talented singer for you so that when the hits start piling up and she truly becomes a household name, you'll all be able to look back to this post and say that you knew her when she was just starting out. This is the story of Lu Kala. Enjoy.
Lu Kala.
Lu Kala is the stage name that this Congolese-Canadian singer goes by. Her legal name is Lusamba Vanessa Kalala. Lu Kala came to Canada when she was just three years old. She grew up speaking French as her first language but has worked hard to learn English and is now considered to be fluently bilingual. Lu Kala and her family first settled in Toronto when they arrived in the country but have since established a home in Ajax, Ontario. From a very early age, Lu Kala was exposed to music. Because she grew up in an environment in which music and movement were an integral part of her family's cultural identity, Lu Kala has always considered music to be an important part of her personal identity, too. Consequently, Lu Kala not only enjoys the act of singing, but she has used it all of her life as a means of expressing her innermost thoughts, feelings and ideas. To Lu Kala, singing provides a platform that wouldn't necessarily be available to her if she was merely speaking or writing the same thoughts that are found within the lyrics of her songs. Thus, she sings in order to be heard. Fortunately for Canada and the world, Lu Kala has a lot to say that is worth listening to.
(L-R) Jonny Harris and Lu Kala speak onstage during the 2024 JUNO Awards (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
As mentioned above, my first experience seeing Lu Kala live was at the Juno Awards. She appeared as an award presenter alongside Canadian actor and comedian Jonny Harris. Mr. Harris is well known in my house because he is a regular cast member on one of my wife's favourite TV shows, Murdoch Mysteries. He is also the star of a reality/comedy show called Still Standing. I say all of this because when the two of them were introduced as presenters, he was the one I recognized, and it was Harris who I expected to have the star presence. But I was wrong. Jonny Harris didn't do anything wrong at all, but compared to Lu Kala, he seemed like the second fiddle on that Halifax stage that night. Lu Kala came across as being so poised and elegant and well spoken. She blew me away! It was definitely a coming out moment for this young singer. Lu Kala was very impressive in all regards. In my opinion, for what that is worth, she stole the show!
Lu Kala is such a fresh presence on the Canadian music scene that she really only has two hit songs of note to her credit, but both of these songs are ones that I hear constantly on the radio in my hometown. Her hit songs are called "Pretty Girl Era" and "Hotter Now". If you live within the Toronto radio broadcasting sphere, then I feel confident that you have heard both of these songs many, many times. Both songs deal with the idea of body positivity, of believing in yourself as being worthy of respect and happiness and of the idea of women supporting other women. The song "Pretty Girl Era" came out first and was a song that I heard a lot as 2023 unfolded. When interviewed by the CBC prior to the Juno Awards broadcast, Lu Kala was asked about her songwriting and why it seemed so personal. She replied that she is hoping to translate her own experiences of being a woman in today's society in such a way that it helps to inspire other women to feel better about themselves, too. Lu Kala stated that there were many people along the way in her life who tried to force her to market herself in a certain way because she is a person of colour or to channel her musical ambitions through the lens of Hip Hop. She stated that she has always been more Pop-oriented in her style and never was able to find creative contentment until she met and started working with women who worked on the production side of the music industry. Lu Kala said that once she found a woman to produce her record and another woman to act as sound engineer that she felt truly free enough to be vulnerable and sing openly about the issues she felt defined her life in Canada as a woman. The song "Pretty Girl Era" is meant as a positive affirmation anthem for all young girls who have to deal with the myriad of different body image messages that bombard them on a daily basis. Lu Kala is the first to state that she does not possess the requisite "bikini body" that society seems to believe is the ideal look that all women should be striving for if they want to be considered beautiful. But, she is also someone who grew up in a loving family where she was constantly hugged and loved and told that she was, in fact, beautiful. "Pretty Girl Era" is her attempt at speaking about how hard it is to be a plus-size woman in a world that is far too critical about body image and how she reconciles the seeming contradiction between the unconditional love she grew up with when compared to the struggles she endures out in the real world when it comes to maintaining that sense of self worth and self esteem. In short, "Pretty Girl Era" is a modern day anthem for young girls and women about feeling good about themselves from the inside and being a good support system for each other, too. Her current song, "Hotter Now", tackles related but different ground. The theme of that song concerns how many men treat women poorly and how surviving bad relationships and coming out intact on the other side can actually make women feel stronger and more independent going forward. It also revisits the theme of sisterhood being an important part of surviving and thriving as a woman in today's world.
I am reasonably confident in saying that during the summer of 2023, I heard "Pretty Girl Era" almost every time I was in the car driving around town. Now, in 2024, it is "Hotter Now" that I hear every time I run an errand or drive one of my daughters to work or to an appointment. Lu Kala is definitely one of the fastest rising music stars in the country. From what I have read about her and what I saw when she was presenting an award at The Junos, she seems like someone who is a proud, confident woman who is ready to take on the naysayers and doubters and make her own mark in the world on her own terms. I think she is quite impressive, and I wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavours. I feel that the world needs more women like her. I am happy that she is here.
The link to the official website for Lu Kala can be found here.
The link to the video for the song "Pretty Girl Era" can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here.
The link to the video for the song "Hotter Now" can be found here. ***The lyrics version is here.
***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared in any manner without the express written consent of the author. ©2024 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com
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