Yola was the musical guest on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Tuesday. The singer-songwriter performed “To Be Young, Gifted And Black” from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Nina Simone composed “To Be Young, Gifted And Black” with lyrics from Weldon Irvine. The legendary pianist included it on her 1970 album Black Gold and it became an instant civil rights anthem. The late great Aretha Franklin would also include the song on her 1972 LP, Young, Gifted And Black.
“Playing ‘To Be Young, Gifted and Black’ means so much to me,” Yola said in a statement. “I grew up with that song and it was the first time I felt a song was directed at me, in a world that didn’t represent me in any way.”
The singer-songwriter also spoke about performing from Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium, where she’ll be making her headline debut on May 11, 2021.
“Playing in the Ryman is such an honour, the room sounds exquisite and is full of legendary energy. It felt meaningful singing those words in that venue, and to take up space in that way. I can not wait to headline in May 2021 – it’s been on my dream list since I first came to Nashville.”
Watch Yola perform “To Be Young, Gifted And Black” from the Ryman Auditorium for Late Night With Seth Meyers below:
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