“...a strong, lustrous tone and an amiably regal presence onstage.”
— The New York Times
Once you have listened to acclaimed vocalist, composer and arranger Alicia Olatuja (A-LEE-see-ah Oh-la-TU-ja), you won’t soon forget her. Praised in The New York Times as “a singer with a strong and luscious tone,” Olatuja combines the earthy with the sublime, bringing a grounded relatability to genres as lofty as classical, as venerated as jazz, and as gritty as R&B.
Olatuja’s vocal excellence stunned a global audience of millions during the second inauguration ceremony for President Barack Obama, the nation’s first African American president, in 2013 with a soaring featured solo during the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s rendition of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Though most didn’t know her name, her pristine voice and poise made a visible impact on the dignitaries in attendance, with reporters and social media lavishing her with praise. “They weren’t there to see me or anybody else sing, what brought them there was this monumental historical event, but to see their reaction was another piece of validation for me as a performer,” she says.
Since this historic performance, opportunities to expand her repertoire and earn fans have only snowballed. Olatuja has performed extensively with The Juilliard School’s various jazz ensembles, shared the stage with Chaka Khan, BeBe Winans, Christian McBride, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Billy Childs, and others, and appeared at national and international music festivals with her own band, earning accolades from fans and the press. She released a previous music collection, Timeless, independently in 2014.
This striking vocalist is known for picking songs that represent a variety of themes, perspectives, and ages, as well as geographic areas, emphasizing the power of diversity.
Many of her tracks begin either a cappella or with a single instrument accompaniment for the first few bars. This technique spotlights her classically trained vocal control and interpretive abilities. “I enjoy when people speak of my voice as if it’s an instrument, because it’s just as valid and legitimate as piano, bass or guitar,” Olatuja notes. “But the voice also has the power to communicate text, and that's what I want, to communicate my interpretation of the song to the listener.”
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Olatuja focused her relentless energy on music at a young age. Singing in her church choir and in various school ensembles, she was exposed to everything from gospel anthems, R&B grooves and pop fare to Latin oratorios and a cappella harmonies. Though she had planned a career in veterinary medicine while at the University of Missouri-Columbia, her music interests led to being cast as the lead in an operetta commemorating the bicentennial of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Preparations included more than two years of intense vocal training, work-shopping and live performances that only sharpened her prodigious gifts. With a Master’s degree in Classical Voice/Opera from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, the singer has performed in regional theater, opera companies, gospel conclave and jazz festivals across the globe, returning often to Brooklyn, the culturally diverse, artistically progressive enclave that has influenced dozens of successful neo-soul, jazz, hip-hop, and rock talents.
Tonight's program will be announced from the stage.
