Albemarle musician seeks to encourage, uplift community through concert
Published 9:23 am Saturday, April 22, 2023
- Vonda Franklin, also known as VLURA, is shown performing in South Carolina last year. Photo courtesy of Vonda Franklin.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
An eclectic concert featuring numerous styles of music will come to Albemarle next month, with the goal of helping to bring people from all backgrounds together.
The Urban Country Soulful Blues tour will make its first stop at the Albemarle Neighborhood Theatre at 7 p.m. May 6.
Tickets will cost $20 at the door, though advance tickets are $15 for people using the tag $Vgetsit via CashApp.
“Uplifting and encouraging each other, that’s what I’m all about,” said Albemarle resident and soul singer Vonda Franklin, who goes by the stage name VLURA. “I just want all different types of people there — to show unity.”
She has recorded 16 singles, including “A Good Woman,” “Fire In the Hole” and “S.A.M. part 1,” each of which have come out this year. She describes herself as a soulful blues artist.
The concert will feature several musicians including Albemarle resident Vonda Franklin, also known as VLURA.
Besides Franklin, the other performers will be Smokin’Otis, LaDog, Robin West and Meme Yahsal. Each musician will perform individually, concluding with Franklin.
They are “good, fair and humble people,” she said, noting she has performed with every musician except Smokin’Otis.
During the concert, Franklin said she also plans to recognize Brenda Stanback, a longtime South Albemarle resident and political activist “for all of her hardwork and dedication within the community.”
She said the concert will likely run until around 11 p.m.
The tour will also include stops in Tennessee, Georgia and Texas, Franklin said.
About Chris Miller
Chris Miller has been with the SNAP since January 2019. He is a graduate of NC State and received his Master's in Journalism from the University of Maryland. He previously wrote for the Capital News Service in Annapolis, where many of his stories on immigration and culture were published in national papers via the AP wire.
More by Chris
