Archive: Arts & Entertainment

Praised by The New York Times as a “singer with a strong and lustrous tone and an amiably regal presence on stage,” Alicia Olatuja has been astounding audiences with her exquisite vocals, artistic versatility and captivating demeanor. She first came into the national spotlight in 2013, performing as the featured soloist with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir at President Barack Obama’s Second Inauguration. Shortly thereafter, she assembled her own jazz-based ensemble and recorded her first solo album, "Timeless" (2014). More recently, she sang on Gregory Porter's "Take Me to the Alley," winner of the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Originally from St. Louis, MO, Alicia grew up immersed in a wide range of musical styles, including gospel, soul, jazz and classical. All of these influences have informed her artistic journey. Motivated to refine her technique, she graduated with a Masters degree in Classical Voice/Opera from the Manhattan School of Music. After appearing in numerous operatic and musical theater productions, she started to perform more regularly in gospel and jazz concerts and has worked with such esteemed artists as Chaka Khan, BeBe Winans and Christian McBride.

Alicia’s own band has been steadily in demand, performing at the Jazz Standard, Vermont Jazz Center, Sioux Falls JazzFest, Rockport Jazz Festival, Markham Jazz Festival, Monty Alexander Jazz Fest, and the Harlem Stage Gatehouse, to name a few. The Grammy-studded line-up appearing with Alicia at Cornell features Jon Cowherd on piano, David Rosenthal on guitar, Ben Williams on bass, and Ulysses Owens, Jr., on drums.

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