Yola (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yola
Yola in 2019
Background information
Birth name	Yolanda Claire Quartey
Born	(1983-07-31) 31 July 1983 (age 41) Bristol, England
Genres	Country soul R&B Americana
Labels	Easy Eye Sound

Yolanda Claire Quartey (born on July 31, 1983), known as Yola, is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. She is famous for her powerful voice and unique blend of country, soul, and Americana music.

Her first album, Walk Through Fire (2019), was highly praised. It earned her four Grammy Award nominations, including one for Best New Artist. Her next album, Stand for Myself (2021), also received great reviews and two more Grammy nominations.

Yola started acting in 2022. She played Sister Rosetta Tharpe, often called "the Godmother of rock and roll," in the movie Elvis. In 2024, she made her Broadway debut, playing Persephone in the musical Hadestown.

Early Life and Challenges

Yola was born in Bristol, England. When she was very young, her father left, and her mother raised her alone. Her mother worked hard to support them and worried about Yola pursuing music as a job. She thought it was too difficult to make a living from.

However, Yola found more freedom to explore music when she went to grammar school. Later, she moved to London for university. She used her student loans to help pay for her music dreams. Yola eventually left university and faced very tough times, struggling to pay for a place to live. Despite these challenges, she never gave up on her passion for music.

Music Career

Before becoming a solo artist, Yola was known as Yolanda Quartey. She sang and sometimes wrote songs for other British music groups. These included Bugz In The Attic, Chase & Status, Sub Focus, Massive Attack, Ginger Wildheart, and Duke Dumont.

Yola decided to start her solo career after her mother passed away in 2013. In 2016, she released her first solo collection of songs, called Orphan Offering.

Walk Through Fire Album

In February 2019, Yola released her first full album, Walk Through Fire. It was released on Dan Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound record label and got amazing reviews. The album's title refers to a real fire that damaged Yola's home, which she managed to escape from.

Music critics loved the album. AllMusic called it "an extraordinary record" that would be remembered. Brittney McKenna from NPR Music said Yola was "an artist sure to stun audiences for years to come." The Wall Street Journal described it as a breakthrough for a "seasoned, major vocalist."

Walk Through Fire was created at Dan Auerbach's Easy Eye Studio in Nashville. Auerbach produced the album and brought together many talented musicians. Yola and Auerbach wrote most of the songs together, with help from other songwriters. Famous musicians like Vince Gill and Molly Tuttle also sang on the album.

In March 2019, Yola appeared on American television for the first time on CBS This Morning. She performed songs from Walk Through Fire. She also sang on two songs for the debut album by The Highwomen, a supergroup that included Sheryl Crow.

Festival Success and Grammy Nominations

Yola made a big impression at the Newport Folk Festival in 2019. Rolling Stone magazine said she was "the single most sought-after voice" at the festival. She performed her own show and also sang with many other artists, including Dolly Parton and Dawes. People traveled from far away just to hear her sing.

Walk Through Fire earned Yola three Grammy Award nominations. The album was nominated for Best Americana Album. Her song "Faraway Look" was nominated for Best American Roots Song and Best American Roots Performance. On top of that, Yola herself was nominated for Best New Artist.

Acting and New Music

In February 2020, it was announced that Yola would play Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Baz Luhrmann's movie Elvis. The film tells the story of Elvis Presley's life and was released in 2022. In December 2020, she was featured in Ringo Starr's song "Here's To The Nights."

In July 2021, Yola released her next album, Stand for Myself. To celebrate, she started her "Stand For Myself Tour" in February 2022. She also performed a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden in October 2021, opening for Chris Stapleton.

On July 2, 2024, Yola made her debut on Broadway in the musical Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theater. She plays the role of Persephone. In September of the same year, she released a new song called "Future Enemies."

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Awards and Nominations

Yola has won and been nominated for many awards for her music.

See also

In Spanish: Yola (cantante) para niños