Jalen Ngonda

Jalen Ngonda brings his transatlantic soul to Manchester Academy on 3 November 2026. Raised in Silver Spring, Maryland and shaped by years in Liverpool, he writes and sings with a clear focus on melody and concise song craft. Signed to New York’s Daptone Records, he has refined a sound that nods to 1960s soul without dressing it up in nostalgia, keeping arrangements tight and the voice upfront.

On stage, Ngonda pivots between slow-blooming ballads and steadier, danceable grooves, carried by a rhythm section that favors solid basslines and mid-tempos. The palette stays lean and warm, with space for horns or strings when the song calls for it. His 2023 album Come Around and Love Me set the tone for this balance, mixing classic R&B contours with a present-day touch. Built in clubs and small rooms before larger tours across the UK and Europe, his live set draws on that groundwork: direct, economical, and centred on the song. Manchester gets the distilled version of that approach, in a room made for voices that lead the band rather than chase it.