FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
\ nThis performance will highlight luminaries who used their talents to e levate\, educate\, and encourage through music. Their contributions played an important role in the history of America and offered lasting cultural contributions to the world. This musical journey includes gospel\, jazz\, soul\, and pop with songs recorded by Mahalia Jackson\, Dinah Washington\, Sam Cooke\, Nina Simone\, Curtis Mayfield\, Aretha Franklin\, Donny Hatha way\, Stevie Wonder\, and more.
\nPerformer: \;Rhonda Dené \;t is hailed as a virtuoso that lends her flair to every song she sings. When she performs\, Dené\;t invites her audience to surrender to the groove by blending classic and contemporary favorites with her inspiring original music. Her repertoire covers the gamut ranging from the American Songbook to Top 40 radio. Based in Newark\, New Jersey\, the jazz/soul voc alist\, songwriter and bandleader makes a full-time living doing what she LOVES.
\nBy the age of nine\, the Washington\, DC native knew the pe rforming arts would be a guiding force in her life. She began to study flu te and piano\, but by eleven\, \;studying voice became her primary foc us. She studied privately for several years\, in addition to performing wi th several theatrical organizations and choirs. Having received tremendous encouragement from her teachers and directors\, she moved to New York whe re she earned a Bachelor \;of Music in Vocal Performance from New York University.
\nDené\;t continued her education and earned a gr aduate degree in Arts Administration from Florida State University&rsquo\; s School of Music. Then she returned to New York City and quickly reacquai nted herself with the diverse music landscape. She spent several years wri ting and producing her brand of soul-infused cabaret\, forming and working with a few bands and developing original music.
\nSince 2007\, Rhon da has been building her full-time career in music. Her professional caree r allows her to perform throughout the New York metropolitan region and ac ross the country with appearances at concert halls\, theaters\, clubs\, re sorts\, museums and premier wedding venues. Dené\;t performs regular ly with her band The Bad Cats\, as a lead vocalist for The Kazz Music Orch estra\, as a cast member of the Off-Broadway show\, &ldquo\;The Gong Show LIVE&rdquo\; and with Echoes of Sinatra vocalist\, Steve Kazlauskas for &l dquo\;Ella &\; Frank: A Tribute&rdquo\;. In addition\, she is proud to be the founder and primary performer for the Silver Fox Songs showcase ser ies\, a program which brings live music to appreciative populations at var ious community service organizations and celebrates American classics from Jazz to Soul.
\nIn 2010\, she released a self-produced EP of origin al music entitled Another Day which was followed by a full-length LIVE alb um\, &ldquo\;Bliss &\; The Eclectic Soul&rdquo\; in the Spring of 2013. \;Her latest project\, &ldquo\;Perfectly Human\,&rdquo\; was released in January 2017.
\nAt the conclusion of the program please feel fre
e to take a brief online survey here: https://www.projectoutcome.org/responses/80416