His name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, though by blending classic soul music with a modern twist, Jalen Ngonda is a name that should be on everyone’s lips and playlist who appreciates a good song delivered with a refreshing touch.

The American-born singer who studied at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts returned back to the north for a sell-out concert at the Manchester Apollo as he channelled the golden age of soul and Motown into a groove that was hard to resist. His voice blended the tone of David Ruffin, the range of Marvin Gaye and the soul of Al Green over a set of songs that came with hooks and choruses as sharp as barbed wire.

Wisely, with the addition of a four-piece string section, a lone trumpeter and two backing vocalists, they collectively added a far greater range to his music than previously, giving That’s All I Wanted From You and Come Around and Love Me a greater depth and emotional charge.

His compelling voice went from falsetto, dropping down the range so that if you closed your eyes, you could have been listening to The Stylistics at one point, and at another, an old Marvin Gaye song – the temptation to drop a cover of the Gaye classic What’s Going On was surrendered; however, a surprise inclusion of Burt Bacharach’s The Look of Love saw Ngonda sit solo at the piano, and it had all the passion, warmth and feeling of the original version delivered in his own soulful style.

His whole performance felt like being let in on a big secret yet to be revealed to the masses. Yes, this was something very special indeed you were witnessing, though it will only be a matter of time before Ngonda is performing on even bigger stages.

New tracks such as Burning Temptation gave the impression that his songwriting skills have not diminished from the release of his 2023 debut album, Come Around and Love Me.

Closing with If You Don’t Want My Love begged the question of why his music is not on any national radio playlist; when this happens, Ngonda’s name will surely then be on the tip of every music lover’s tongue. As the final notes faded, it was clear that this concert would linger in the memory long after the lights had gone out.