Jalen Ngonda Breathes New Life into Classic Soul at Way Out West 2026

It’s Friday afternoon in Slottsskogen, and Gothenburg is showing a much more southern side than usual. The sun is shining from a clear sky, the temperature is around 27 degrees, and I am slowly but surely melting away. But if you’re going to stand and sweat in the sun, you might as well do it to the sounds of really good soul.

On stage is Jalen Ngonda, an American singer and songwriter who in recent years has risen as one of the most interesting names on the modern soul scene. Ngonda was born in Maryland, USA, but moved to England to study at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. His love for Motown and the soul of the 60s and 70s was awakened at a young age, and it’s clearly heard in the music.

The big breakthrough came with the debut album Come Around and Love Me in 2023, released on the classic Daptone Records. Here, there are clear echoes of Motown, Stax, and the golden age of soul, with Ngonda’s high, soft, and at times almost floating falsetto at the center. Earlier this summer, the follow-up Doctrine of Love was released, where he continues to develop his classic soul sound.

When Jalen Ngonda finally starts at Way Out West, it’s almost as if someone placed a time machine in the middle of Slottsskogen and sent us back to the 70s.

It’s warm, organic, and damned good.

Above all, it’s the voice that hits you. When Ngonda goes into his falsetto, it’s at times so beautiful that you immediately get goosebumps, even though the thermometer shows 27 degrees. That’s quite impressive when you’re also melting in the sun.

Looking out over the audience, it’s also clear that this type of music doesn’t have any expiry date. Everyone from young festival visitors to significantly older soul lovers stands side by side.

During the show, we hear some of Ngonda’s best-known songs, with If You Don’t Want My Love, Come Around and Love Me, and That’s All I Wanted from You fitting perfectly into the sunny festival afternoon.

About halfway in, Ngonda takes off his guitar and sits down behind the keyboard for Come Around and Love Me. The combination of the soft falsetto and the keyboard becomes one of the concert’s finest moments. After the song, the guitar goes back on.

Toward the end, Ngonda wants to get the audience even more involved and challenges us to dance together with him. It hardly takes any persuasion. In front of the stage, the crowd is swaying enthusiastically as the audience joins in.

With about a quarter of an hour left, he takes a moment to introduce the musicians behind him: Ben McKone on drums, James McKone on bass, and Adam Rust on keyboard. He also takes the opportunity to thank everyone who came to see him despite playing so early in the day.

The great thing about Jalen Ngonda is that it never feels like a fancy-dress exercise or a desperate attempt to recreate the past. The influences are obvious, but together with the band, he manages to make them into something that feels alive here and now.

After an hour, it’s time to end. Ngonda thanks the audience with a simple “Peace and love” before stepping off the stage.

Jalen Ngonda came to Way Out West with a fantastic voice, a great band, and music that for a moment made Slottsskogen feel like the 70s.