International award-winning songstress N'Kenge has been heralded by The New York Times as "a classically trained diva that can stretch from Broadway to Pop, Soul, and Opera". Trained at both The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music, N'Kenge's vocal and musical range spans 5 octaves and 11 languages.
N'Kenge made her Broadway debut in "Sondheim on Sondheim", and slayed the game on Broadway originating the role of Mary Wells in "Motown: The Musical", which garnered a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.
On January 24, 2018, as part of the "Broadway at The Pierre" cabaret series in association with Broadway Sings for Pride, a concert was held at Two E Bar/Lounge — the sophisticated saloon located inside the New York City luxury hotel, The Pierre. The concert featured a performance by N'Kenge, backed by pianist and musical director Chris Curcio.
N'Kenge performed the song "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" during the concert, where Shefik served as Videographer. "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (also known in short as just "And I Am Telling You") is a torch song from the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls", with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger.
In the context of the musical, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is sung by the character Effie White, a singer with The Dreams, to her manager, Curtis Taylor Jr., whose romantic and professional relationship with Effie is ending. The lyrics to "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", often considered the show's signature tune, describe Effie's love for Curtis, both strongly devoted and defiant.
In addition to its presence in the musical, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is also notable as the debut single of two women who portrayed Effie. Jennifer Holliday originated the role on Broadway in 1981 and won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the role, as well as the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for its re-release in 1982, for which it became a number-one R&B hit.
Jennifer Hudson portrayed Effie in the 2006 film adaptation of the musical, winning an Academy Award.
Credits
- Videographer: Shefik
Last Updated: April 22, 2023
