HSA Alumnus N’Kenge, Star of Broadway’s Motown the Musical

Hailed by VARIETY as “a sensational powerhouse singer,” N’Kenge has been taking the music world by storm. As one of the stars in this month’s much-hyped Broadway show MotownThe Musical, N’Kenge dives into a production rooted in the music and legend of the past with gusto – and with firsthand experience: beginning her training at Harlem School of the Arts, N’Kenge was part of the last generation of HSA students to study with soprano Betty Allen, African-American icon and HSA president emeritus.

“I have loved Harlem School of the Arts ever since my mom enrolled me in classes at the age of 3…HSA has played such a major part in my development as an Artist and I am forever grateful. The exceptional teachers, classes and performance opportunities I gained from being a scholarship student there has been priceless.”

N’Kenge has always thrived on music. At the age of three, her mother enrolled her daughter for dance and piano classes as a means of channeling her unusual energy. When it was discovered that N’Kenge possessed a true singing voice, the enigmatic youngster decided to devote herself to its full time development. N’Kenge continued her studies at the H.S. School of Performing Arts, Harlem School of the Arts and The Juilliard School (to name a few), winning kudos for her voice – and even her beauty, when she won the title of “Miss Manhattan” in the Miss America Pageant.

N’Kenge made her Broadway debut in Sondheim on Sondheim in 2010, and she is now set to debut as Mary Wells in Motown the Musical. Mary Wells was known as the “Queen of Motown” and had a run of hit singles including the well-known classic “My Guy.” Wells was said to have been part of the charge in black music onto radio stations and record shelves of mainstream America, bridging the color lines in music.

N’Kenge too possesses the rare ability to bridge two worlds: a more classical world of “original divas” and disciplined art, and a bright future in which N’Kenge is the next generation of talents we will learn from. With accolades too numerous to list, endless opportunities are in sight for yet another headline-making HSA alumna.

Check out http://nkengemusic.com

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