Home > Line up 2023 > 20 july 2023 > Jalen Ngonda (2023)

Jalen Ngonda is the new voice of modern soul. Signed on the legendary Daptone label (DapKings, Sharon Jones), he presents his first album under his own name here in Nice. It's hard not to think of Marvin Gaye and the whole history of Afro-American soul as you listen to these tracks that masterfully mix strings, a powerful rhythm and melodies that already sound like classics. Jalen has a rich voice that makes him a truly singular artist in the current landscape.

Originally from Maryland in the USA, he grew up in Liverpool (England) where he has been perfecting his singing since the age of 11, influenced by his father's collection of jazz records as well as by hip-hop, soul and classical music. Since 2014, he has toured extensively across England and has already collaborated with artists like Laura Mvula, Martha Reeves or Lauryn Hill. 

His latest record was influenced just as much by the great history of soul and R&B as by the Beach Boys or the Beatles. This is a discovery at the Nice Jazz Festival just as much as it is a première. Remember his name.