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 May 7, 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 Josh Kight.
N'Kenge performed the song "My Guy" during the concert, where Shefik served as Videographer. "My Guy" is a 1964 hit single by Mary Wells for Motown Records. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles, the song is a woman's rejection of a sexual advance and affirmation of her fidelity to her boyfriend, who is her ideal and with whom she is happy, despite his ordinary physique and looks.
At the session for the "My Guy" backing track, the studio musicians were having issues completing the intro. With the musicians having been playing all day and a half-hour scheduled studio time left, trombonist George Bohanon said to keyboardist Earl Van Dyke that the opening measure of "Canadian Sunset" could be perfectly juxtaposed on the intro's chord changes, and Van Dyke, the session bandleader, expediently constructed an intro incorporating the opening of "Canadian Sunset" and also the "left hand notes" from "Canadian Sunset" composer Eddie Heywood's rendition of "Begin the Beguine".
When Wells recorded her vocal, she sang over the song's outro with a huskiness evoking the line delivery of Mae West.
"My Guy" became the biggest hit ever for Wells, Motown Records' first female star, and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart on May 16, 1964. The song led the Cashbox magazine R&B chart for seven weeks. "My Guy" was also Wells' last hit single for Motown Records, except for duets she recorded with label mate Marvin Gaye. An option in her recording contract let Wells terminate the contract at her discretion after she reached her twenty-first birthday on May 13, 1964. Encouraged by her ex-husband, Wells broke her Motown Records contract and signed with 20th Century Fox, in hopes of higher royalties and possible movie roles. However, Wells' career never again reached the heights it had at Motown Records, and she never again had a hit single as big as "My Guy".
Credits
- Videographer: Shefik
Last Updated: April 29, 2023
