Mumu Fresh and her backup singer’s beautiful harmony of tribal chats filled the theatre… “Ink Pata” “Na Wa Che” “Na Wa Che”… in her beautiful native Lakota tongue. It was an ode to powerful women and cultural ancestry that pays homage to Native American spiritual rituals. The chant then transitioned into a spoken word piece that took us on a quick trip through her ancestral lineage then back to her present life today.
That evening with the sensational grammy-nominated Maimouna Youssef aka Mumu Fresh at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC was one of the best evenings I’ve ever had. She is the perfect combination of powerful Black excellence, royal Native American pride and hip-hop.
After her electrifying opening, the rest of the evening only got better. She took us on a musical journey through her amazing catalog, and she also threw in some classics, a few songs from her fav artists. Usually, when I write these recaps, I mention some of my favorite songs, but with this performance, I can’t do that because the whole evening was my favorite.
I have been following Mumu for a while, and she always blows me away with every performance. I personally have always felt that she was super underrated, which is insane to me. Well not anymore! Ever since her NPR Tiny Desk performances, she has been making a lot of noise in the hip-hop world. All eyes are on her now, people are paying attention, and all of it is well deserved.
That evening, she shared the stage with her partner DJ Dummy, that kept us rocking all night; before Mumu hit the stage and in between a few of her songs. A few other special guests hit the stage with her, Grammy-nominated artist and producer Kokayi and Mumu’s beautiful mother joined her for a song as well.
Mumu’s addictive energy and passion exude through each one of her songs. She carefully picks each word that she raps or sings and you feel each one in your soul when they come out of her mouth. I was brought to tears several times that evening. I felt so many different emotions that I had trouble describing at the moment. After the show, once I processed all of my thoughts and emotions, the one word that I came up with to describe how that evening with her made me feel was… Euphoric.
Thank you to the Kennedy Center and Briclyn Entertainment Group for the opportunity to be a part of such an epic night. And thank you to Mumu Fresh for leaving it all on the stage that evening.
Instagram: @mumufresh
Naomi is a stylish, adventurous traveler. She’s a bit of a daredevil that loves excursions. Those that know her, call her a shoe connoisseur. She is also obsessed with music and has a playlist for just about any mood. She’s a foodie that loves a good vegetarian/vegan spot. Want to know where she is headed next… stay tuned to find out!
