Mon Rovîa

Singer and songwriter Mon Rovîa is a Liberian-born/Tennessee-based artist with an intimately rendered sound informed by lyrical indie pop, folk, and traditions of his native West Africa. Buoyed by a strong social media following, he debuted in 2021 with Dark Continent, an album that showcased his atmospheric blend of acoustic and electronic sounds and found him exploring themes of trauma, mental health, and healing. He has continued to develop his style, as on his 2023 EPs Act 1: The Wandering and Act 2: Trials, and songs like “City on a Hill.” Mon Rovîa was born Janjay Lowe in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. He was just seven years old when he was adopted by American Christian missionaries during the Second Liberian Civil War of the late ’90s. Growing up, he moved several times with his family, living first in Florida, then Montana, and the Bahamas. Along the way, he was exposed to a Christian pop and worship music. However, it was at age 13 that a foster sibling introduced him to indie pop and artists like Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, and Passion Pit. He started playing guitar and was soon writing his own songs. After high school, Lowe moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to attend university. It was there that he began digging deeper into his music, crafting songs that found him coming to terms with the trauma of his youth, his survivor’s guilt over having grown up away from the violence of his home country, and his hope for a better future for everyone. He eventually reached out to a former university friend, artist and label manager Eric Cromartie, who encouraged him to keep pursuing his music and helped develop his career. Adopting the stage name Mon Rovîa as a tribute to his birthplace, Lowe began posting videos on social media, where he went viral and developed a large following. In 2021, he released his debut album, Dark Continent, which found him expanding his sonic palette, blending his intimate acoustic songs with atmospheric electronics. In 2023, Mon Rovîa returned with the EPs Act 1: The Wandering and Act 2: Trials. More songs followed, including the singles “Cleopatra,” “Outlaw for Your Love,” and “City on a Hill.” ~ Matt Collar