The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, presented by NJPAC in Newark, recently announced the five finalists for the competition on November 20: Allan Harris, Kristin Lash, Ekep Nkwelle, Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso and Lucy Yeghiazaryan. Gary Walker is interviewing each of the finalists in the weeks leading up to the competition.
Ekep Nkwelle is a singer and songwriter who studied both Classical Voice and Jazz Performance at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts High School in Washington, D.C. and later attended Howard University, where she performed with the school’s prestigious vocal jazz ensemble Afro Blue.
This week Nkwelle spoke with WBGO’s Walker about her evolution as both a vocalist and songwriter. “Ekep Nkwelle considers it an honor to be one of this year’s finalists in the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition,” Walker says. “Born in Washington, D.C., this Cameroonian-American first found excitement as part of The Soul Sistas vocal group while in high school at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, later investigating singers and their stories at Howard University. Next Spring, she will receive her master’s degree in Jazz Voice from The Juilliard School. With her own musical tales, Ekep shows a passion for Black music and the history and culture of the African diaspora. Sarah Vaughan’s approach to singing a story remains a deep inspiration for Ekep on her own musical journeys.”
Watch their conversation here:
