Yola appeared as the musical guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers Wednesday night, where the singer performed her rendition of Nina Simone‘s “To Be Young, Gifted and Black”.
The performance took place remotely from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, where the British singer is scheduled to perform on May 11th, 2021. Despite being over seven months away, tickets for the concert at the legendary venue went on sale Thursday.
From the stage of the Ryman, bathed in natural sunlight and facing away from the seats, Yola performed the tune from legendary singer/songwriter/activist’s 1958 album Little Girl Blue. While Yola’s musical prowess has been well-established since launching onto the scene in 2016 with her debut EP, Orphan Offering, this performance placed her on the level of an icon like Simone.
Related: Yola Delivers Intimate, Acoustic ‘Tiny Desk (Home) Concert’ [Watch]
From the song choice to her presence at the famed Ryman Auditorium, everything about Yola’s performance on Late Night rings of a vintage nature. Yet the song, while written over half a century ago, still rings true as Yola champions the social justice causes that remain just as relevant as in Simone’s heyday. The emotion that Yola pulls from for this rendition of “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” is the kind of thing that can’t be faked, and can only be found through years of discrimination and hardship as a result of one’s race, despite her remarkable ability.
Watch Yola’s performance of “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” from the Ryman Auditorium.
Yola – “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” (Nina Simone)
[Video: Late Night with Seth Meyers]