Lady Moon & The Eclipse, Kendra McKinley

GLOBAL | LOCAL IV:Lady Moon and the Eclipse (Hudson, NY)with Kendra McKinley (Catskill, NY)August 29 at PS21 Pavilion TheaterA night of the Hudson Valley’s best original neo-soul music. Lady Moon and the Eclipse, the multicultural cosmic soul project birthed in Hudson over a decade ago, makes their return home. Ngonda Badila, aka Lady Moon, fronts a six-piece band, (the sun), connecting with the audience (the earth) to complete the eclipse. Catksill’s Kendra McKinley, with a voice like tuned honey, fronts a dynamic band with a style that braids sensuality, levity, and polish.GLOBAL | LOCAL: Musical Worlds Meet at PS21Our new season-long series features musicians from across the world and from our backyard. The series examines the intersection of two ideas: the continuing need to open our minds to international art and perspectives, and the growing importance of local community, place, and togetherness in an increasingly decentralized and digitized world. PS21 resides in a hotbed of creativity—the Hudson Valley—and many of its finest musicians will be presented alongside world-class international acts in this summer-long series.ABOUT THE ARTISTSLady Moon & The EclipseLady Moon & The Eclipse is a multicultural ensemble founded in Hudson, NY. With a marked emphasis on inclusivity, individuality, and spiritual unity rooted in a unique tapestry of celestial perspectives, the band radiates positive music and message in the community with artists, directors, designers, producers, musicians and celestial beings of earth. The New York Times calls it "Neosoul with a cross-genre bent that manifests through Afrobeat, gospel and funk. The result is charmingly retro."Through soaring vocal textures and R&B/afrobeat-influenced rhythms, they create inspirational music that explores the “Cosmic Soul”. Lady Moon carries the essence of the Moon sending a message of love, peace, and light, while the musicians serve as the Sun shining light upon her. The audience represents the Earth, completing the metaphorical eclipse.Founder, singer and songwriter Ngonda Badila aka Lady Moon is a Hudson Valley force. Born into a traditional African dance and theater company founded by family, Badila, her parents, and her 10 siblings have offered cultural workshops and performances for youth and adults in the Hudson Valley since 1997.Exploring beyond the New York region spanning from Vermont to New Orleans, The Bay Area, Las Vegas & LA via their Eclipse Season Tours, the band has opened for such names as Thundercat, Kamasi Washington, Amanda Palmer, Maxi Priest, and Tank & the Bangas along the way. Journey to the Cosmic Soul, their full-length album released in April 2020 on double vinyl and CD; was recorded and arranged with a celestial concept used to guide the listener through a journey to become one's best self.Kendra McKinleyCatskill’s Kendra McKinley paints on her clothes and makes music for smoking weed with your bra off. Her most recent record, “Where Does A Body Begin?” came out June 23, 2023.Kendra is your friendra; a conduit of connection with a voice that sounds like tuned honey. Her music braids sensuality, levity and polish. Fronting a dynamic backing band, her live show is an invitation to swerve and swoon to her yummy grooves. An incantation to bloom, on loop.