Lingua Franca (the stage name of Athens, Ga.-based hip-hop and spoken word artist Mariah Parker) found her path while studying creative writing at Warren Wilson College. “Asheville was the perfect place to explore my tastes, to come out of the closet, to embrace my natural hair — I learned to love so many of my quirks because I felt unafraid living there,” she says. She views her upcoming performance at The Mothlight as both a homecoming and an opportunity to explore the black music scene she missed before: “Athens has a crazy vibrant scene, but I’m interested to probe the perspectives of Asheville artists, compare and contrast our music cultures, and maybe take some insight home with me.” Lucianna Ania and Spaceman Jones will join Lingua Franca at The Mothlight on Saturday, May 6, at 9:30. $8. themothlight.com. Photo courtesy of Lingua Franca
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