presents: jalen ngonda 📻

one email every friday about a good artist

one email every friday about a good artist

this week’s opener (6/28) is:

Jalen Ngonda

🔮 the vibe…

a smooth, soulful modern day reincarnation of marvin gaye 🍯

🏡 the roots…

born and raised in Maryland, USA

📖 the story…

  • jalen’s dad immersed him in soul and motown records at a young age

  • in 2014 he decided to move to liverpool, england 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 to attend the ‘institute of the performing arts’ (co-founded by paul mccartney)

  • it was here that his performances and soaring vocals quickly gained attention, earning him a loyal following and his first big single ⬇️

  • soonafter, Jalen was discovered by brooklyn based soul label Daptone

  • they signed jalen, put him on the road 🚐 opening for ‘thee sacred souls’ and helped him release his 2023 critically acclaimed debut album

  • jalen’s vintage, motown sound feels more like an unearthed classic record from the 1960’s, than it does something made by a 29 year old…

🎧 the 🔝 songs 

if you dont want my love - spotify / apple music

so glad i found you - spotify / apple music

🎙️ the 🔝 performance…

dont you remember (colors studio session) ⬇️

  • cmonnn - the pipes are ridiculous

  • if you like this i highly suggest going to see Jalen live. i’ve seen him twice now, and being at his shows feels like you’ve taken a time machine 🕰️ to witness a motown ‘up and comer’ minutes before superstardom

📇 the rest…

📇 the word…

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