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Shakti Lon is a native of New York City, raised in Queens Long Island and Greenwich Villiage. She started singing and dancing at the age of six. Her talent was immediately recognized while she was in the school choir. Her teachers pushed her to develop her talents, saw that she started singing in the New York City Choir, and managed her on tours singing throughout New York and across the country to Boston, Philidelphia, Canada, and many others.
She started hanging out in the rich tapesty of music and culture of New York City, including Greenwich Villiage at age 8-18, where she absorbed the intellectual and musical atmosphere surrounding her life. As she grew in her talent and experiences, she was named performer of the year in New York City for her excellence in the Pied Piper talent show at the age of only fifteen, earning several awards and headlines, including Metro Media Channel 5, CBS, WABC, music radio 77, and WNEW-TV.
It was during this time that she triumphed in a talent search program and was awarded entry into the Julliard Performing Arts Program in New York City, but unfortunately had her dreams crushed by lack of family support for this opportunity of a lifetime.
Undaunted, Shakti Lon went on to develop stage performances, created a band, and traveled in the New York region. Her style was high energy singing and dance, very physical and dynamic on stage. Shakti Lon and her band opened at Madison Square Garden and in Central Park Dome for famous celebrities such as Curtis Mayfield, James Brown, The Jackson 5, Earth Wind And Fire, The 5 Stair Steps among others. She watched other talents develop around her, such as Madonna, Grace Jones, Count Basie, Billy Cobham, Millie Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, and other major talents who inspired her own professional growth.
Her strong voice of many ranges made for many standing ovations in front of screaming audieneces when ever she performed, including being pulled off of the stage by an over enthusiastic fan on live TV in New York City.
At the age of 24 she left the Big Apple and moved to La Jolla and Cowan Heights California to raise her children. She performed throughout California including Gazarries and other well known Hollywood clubs, always receiving thunderous applause. In addition to singing and dancing, she free lanced as a designer for store lay outs on Rodeo Drive, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macey's, etc. She also free lanced as a make up artist for television and performance artists. She then owned and managed a high fashion retail business while attending Orange Coast College studying music and performance business and arts. She always maintained her interest and involvement in music.
A few short years later found her at her ranch on the river near Reno, Nevada with her husband. Resuming her singing career, she began her formal study under renowned vocal coach Richard Lee PhD, specializing in opera. She soon joined the Sierra Nevada Master Choir, now Sierra Master Works Choir as one of their leading Soprano soloists.
At this time Shakti Lon was also singing, acting, and performing throughout the Lake Tahoe area. She started in "Cabaret" at the Tahoe Biltmore and was one of the Kit Kat Characters, Two Ladies, Telephone Girl. As in the past, she was strongly involved in all aspects of various performance projects, writing music and lyrics, designing costumes, etc.
She was asked to be the opening singer at the 150 year old Piper's Opera House in the historical Virginia City, Nevada. She received wonderful write-ups in the Reno Gazzette newspaper not only for her thrilling performance but also as the first African American Singer ever to perform at Piper's Opera House. She was asked to return and appear in "Cats" with great success. The Reno Gazette newspaper heralded her as " the most splended voice at the Piper Opera House. An excellent soprano solo singing "Summertime" from Pogy and Bess." She has also performed the solo "Ride the Chariot" in front of the Morman Tabernacle Choir when they visited Reno, Nevada.
Geographically, she has performed in New York City, California, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Boston MA, Atlanta Georgia, Canada, Reno Nevada, Miami Florida, and others. She is an acomplished and respected professional with a talent and reputation for creativity and teamwork with other professionals across the nation.
Today, Shakti Lon contines to perform, but has broadened her talents to include writing/producing original music, harmonies, lyrics, etc, to more than 25 original songs in multiple Genres. She has two complete CDs written, produced, and performed. Shakti Lon singing style continues to grow and evolve, encompassing pop, R&B, theatre and opera, Balads, Jazz, spiritual, and Rock. Her operatic repertoire includes songs in Latin and Italian. Also, such songs as " Ride The Chariot", " Ain't That Good News" "Poggy and Bess", and many more.
Shakti Lon is focused on making the next chapter of her life the most rewarding and productive of her career.
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