Artist Spotlight: Jalen N'gonda
By Paolo Dalla-Costa (@paolo_dalla_costa)
Open mic nights can be both surprising and awkward occasions (oh, how I miss them). If you’ve ever found yourself at one such event then you will be able to relate to the collective embarrassment felt by a crowd watching a terrible spoken word artist, un-amusing standup comedian or sunburnt hippy playing an obscure gong instrument and ‘singing’ incredibly badly.
However, sometimes an absolute gem comes along and graces the stage with their presence. It was one of these very events, on a cold autumn night in 2019 that I first saw Jalen Ngonda perform. There were no more than fifteen people present, including performers, at the Railway Tavern in Tulse Hill, SW2: a true south London musical institution. No one in the audience, mainly locals who frequented the Sunday sessions, was prepared for what they were about to hear.
Ngonda arrived, guitar in hand, just in time for his allocated slot. He walked stoically to the makeshift stage and took a seat at the microphone. He briefly introduced himself then began to sing. It was clear from the very first note that we were witnessing raw talent. We glanced at each other, confused as to why this man was here, at this pub in this remote pocket of south London.
Ngonda was born and raised in the small city of Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. He began singing casually at eleven: ‘I was just singing along to songs that I was enjoying at the time: The Temptations; Outkast; loads of Motown; Marvin Gaye…it wasn’t until I was twelve that I realised, okay, “I’m hitting these notes”.’ Ngonda’s parents, although not musicians themselves, were music lovers who regularly played a plethora of artists from the worlds of soul, jazz and hip-hop which would continue to influence him from childhood to the present day.
At thirteen, Ngonda discovered the guitar and would experiment recreationally with like-minded peers. This continued until he was nineteen, when he began learning jazz theory. Upon leaving high school, Ngonda knew that he wanted to continue studying music. His original hope was to study in New York, however, he did not quite meet the academic criteria and so was forced to look elsewhere: ‘I found out about this performing arts school in Liverpool called LIPA (Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts). I saw it in a documentary…I looked it up online a week later to see what it was about - it looked interesting’.
Ngonda auditioned in California and was accepted onto the foundation course: ‘That’s how I wound up in the UK…I was there (LIPA) for two years…but in between my foundation and first year (of the full degree course) I was doing gigs around Liverpool and Manchester and having songs played on local Merseyside radio. I was starting to get work and I was really busy with gigs and missing class all the time…by the end of the first year I thought “I don’t know if I’ll be able to do this again” because I was getting busy with festivals…and recording sessions, going down to London all the time, so I was just like, “you know what, I’m gonna do this full time”.’
It is a testament to Ngonda’s talent that he never finished his degree; an academic nod was simply unnecessary. He did, however, choose to remain in Liverpool, a city known for its rich musical culture. Although he knew little about the city, he had done some research prior to arriving in Merseyside: ‘When I was a kid I didn’t actually know where The Beatles were from; I just assumed they were probably from London. Then I started listening to them…watching documentaries etc…. talking about the Mersey beat: Gary & The Pacemakers; Billy Fury; The Hollies. I got into the British invasion bands, so I knew a bit about it (Liverpool) before I moved to the UK.’
Living, socialising and performing in Liverpool meant Ngonda was introduced to new sounds that he knew very little about, including contemporary British indie music: ‘I got really into Arctic Monkeys, who I’d never heard of before.’ Frequenting the bars that played music both old and new would influence Ngonda in terms of the sounds he listened to and created. After five years in Liverpool, Ngonda decided to move to London in order to further his career, having already made the trip to the big smoke many times for various gigs and recording sessions. He settled in the south east of the city, an area teeming with musical talent: ‘I enjoy living in London very much – I see myself down here for a while. Compared to Liverpool it’s so much bigger and there are so many scenes. Living in south London is actually very similar (to Liverpool) in terms of the music scene. There’s always a gig on or some DJs playing and people hanging out and jamming. Liverpool’s very much known for that too…It’s more of a hustle down here – The bigger the city, the bigger the hustle.’
Ngonda’s current listening list includes artists from Solange to Lianne La Havas, Tame Impala, Little Dragon, Homeshake and Grizzly Bear. Although categorising artists can be reductive, there is no denying that Ngonda holds his own in the world of contemporary soul: ‘Soul is one of those things that people like to say, “oh, soul’s back”, but it never went away; it adapted and changed and sometimes it will sound very similar to how it sounded forty years ago. A lot of people don’t think about how deep soul is… – it depends what’s said in the song, the feel, the expression in every chord you play.’
“A lot of people don’t think about how deep soul is… – it depends what’s said in the song, the feel, the expression in every chord you play.’”
Ngonda shows his natural vocal range on Don’t You Remember? - an intimate and heartfelt song that conjures feelings of nostalgia, yearning and the pain of unrequited love; whilst managing to be uplifting and melancholic simultaneously. It is the perfect Motown- style ballad, creating a cinematic feel with its breakdowns and string arrangements. This contrasts to Why I try, which showcases the more upbeat side of Ngonda with guitar driven, almost indie riffs, and a pre-chorus chord progression that feels like a direct nod to The Beatles. It has a timeless feel and is undoubtedly one for the dance floor.
At only twenty-six, Ngonda is already a seasoned performer. In between leaving Liverpool and settling in London, he returned to the states for a month-long tour, seeing this experience as the highlight of his career so far with regard to his progress: ‘It helped me grow as a singer and a performer; but also helped develop my writing. Being away for that long and having a show every night…I was supporting a band called Lake Street Dive, who are really dope, and just being that busy all the time and trying to ignore the hangover at every show…sweat it out under the lights…that gave me a knack for it… now I don’t feel as fatigued after gigs…it was a very monumental time.’
The current gig dynamic has been mercilessly compromised due to the arrival of Covid-19, leaving musicians all over the world in difficult and frustrating circumstances. Ngonda, however, is a huge advocate for busking, something he has been doing for years: ‘I think it’s very rich; it keeps the music playing in the streets for people to hear...A lot of people see it like, “Oh, this person’s having a tough time, he needs to make some dough”, but especially now when there’s not a lot of gigs going on and every musician’s itching to play and express their music, whether they wrote it or not. It makes people smile. It’s not something I want to do forever, but it keeps you humble and makes you keep in mind that this is your talent, your gift.’
Ngonda’s journey is undoubtedly unique. His path has allowed him to develop into the musician he is today, whilst always holding on tightly to his roots and love for the domestic sounds he grew up around: ‘I’m not trying to think about whether my sound is catchy enough or ready for radio, I just want to write my songs in a natural way. If it’s a good song I’ll release it and have confidence in it. I’ve been playing with jazz sounds and drum sounds recently and being more experimental.’ There is no doubt that whatever Ngonda has in the pipeline will be exceptional.
Jalen Ngonda is on Spotify and all respected platforms. If you are in London and wish to see the man himself, he performs at Herne Hill market on most Sundays and has regular DJ sets at Agile Rabbit in Brixton Village, where he plays mainly 1950s-70s soul and R&B on 45 vinyl records.