WBGO

If you’ve heard Shenel Johns sing, it’s hard to imagine she could have taken any other path. But for the Connecticut-born vocalist—shaped by gospel reggae in her Jamaican household and later drawn into jazz—that path wasn’t always so clear.

In a recent interview with WBGO’s Kyla Marshell—Shenel talks about touring Africa with Jazz at Lincoln Center and what that experience taught her about music, culture, and connection across the world.

Watch the full interview here: https://www.wbgo.org/podcast/art-of-the-story/2026-05-15/shenel-johns