Jalen Ngonda
Sixties soul sung straight, with no wink — a falsetto so period-correct that the Daptone-school arrangements almost feel like the modern part.
Jalen Ngonda grew up in the Washington, DC area and moved to Liverpool to study music, where he began performing and recording. He signed to Daptone Records, the Brooklyn label known for analogue-recorded soul and funk, and released the album Come Around and Love Me.
His songs draw on 1960s and early-70s soul, particularly the Motown and Philadelphia traditions, and are built around a high, clear tenor that moves easily into falsetto. The arrangements favour live rhythm section, warm horns and unhurried tempos, and the writing sticks to the compact verse-chorus structures of the era rather than treating them as pastiche.
Jalen Ngonda at a glance
Where is Jalen Ngonda from?
Jalen Ngonda is from Washington, DC / Liverpool, England.
What kind of music does Jalen Ngonda play?
Jalen Ngonda is tagged soul and R&B.
What festivals has Jalen Ngonda played before?
Jalen Ngonda has played Way Out West 2026, Latitude 2026.
Also on these bills
Teddy SwimsBlood OrangeDavid ByrneRavyn LenaeLewis CapaldiAnnahstasiaAlessi RoseCelesteAlice Phoebe LouLila IkéDry CleaningThe Cure
More soul acts
Lola YoungTeddy SwimsAlabama ShakesCelesteKhamariChaka KhanDaniel CaesarDon WestDurand Jones & the IndicationsGoldFordJon BatisteJorja Smith
Find acts like Jalen Ngonda at upcoming festivals
Start the finder with Jalen Ngonda already in the box and see which acts on a lineup fit the same taste.
