Local Teen R&B Sensation Gears Up for Her Performance at the Garde Theatre
By Bridney C.
This article piece was originally published in the March 20th 2019 spring issue of the student publication, The Current for Three Rivers Community College. Volume 20, Issue #4.
I want to inspire others after me and inspire my peers to just get out and perform,” says Kela Noré (Pronunciation: KAY-LAH NOR-RAY) a 17-year-old singer based in New London. Noré is going to sing on stage at the Garde Theatre along with many other featured local artists in the New London Talent Show on Saturday, April 6th at 7 PM.
Nore’ plans on wowing the audience by walking out with confidence, so those watching her performance, who may have a dream of doing anything in life can be reassured that they can “reach for the stars.” She believes she will make a bold statement with her performance by just being herself and inspiring other young women to perform on stage.
She will be singing her own original song, titled “Ou La La,” during this year’s showcase. Her musical sound, which is a modern R&B type feel mixed in with pop sounds, has gained a following in the past year. She has been participating in the New London Talent Show for seven years as way to gain exposure as a local artist.
Lately, Noré has been performing at various open mic events in the area in order to get rid of the stage fright she says still has.
Her real name is Mykela Parker, who came up with her stage name Kela Noré from Noré-Ann which is her middle name. She began singing since childhood and recorded her first song in January of 2018.
Noré comes from a musical family and background. Noré writes her own songs while her manager, a cousin of hers from Providence, Rhode Island, engineers her music. Her mother produces music as well and is currently creating the instrumentals for her upcoming album consisting of 10-12 songs.
Noré’s musical influences include R&B artists such as Luther Vandross, Kehlani, Lionel Richie and Brent Faiyaz. She cites her siblings, grandfather, and singing coach Shaniece Garcia as being her inspiration, but says her mom is her main inspiration, sharing, “whenever she wants to do something she makes sure to dedicate herself towards making it happen so it motivates me.”
“I like to be able to have a relation with people. Like when I create my music, I like to tell a story by using the combination of my vocals and inspiration. As well as the chords in my songs when I pick out a beat, and it’s all about the vibes.”
She considers her music to be self-reflective, saying “I feel like it is, because even though some of my songs are just stories that are inspired by movies, I tend to be a jinx and some situations end up being like the ones I write in my songs.”
Noré pursues her music career full time as of now, although she plans on majoring in psychology while attending community college later on this year. Noré completed high school two months ago in January, and has already received her high school diploma.
In the future, Noré hopes to collaborate with local artists Shemmy, Andre, Erycka Ortiz, and a friend of hers, Menelik. She also looks forward to networking with other artists who would like to expand on their craft.
“There’s art in every sense that’s we use whether it’s hearing, seeing, or even tasting and touching. Me discovering different perspectives in different forms of art will allow me to expand my creativity,” says Kela Noré.
And what about those who may want to pursue any goal they have? Kela Noré states, “for the people that are aiming for a big goal to achieve... All I have to say is make sure you have an organized plan. Start off with small goals that build up to what you want. Patience is key. And law of attraction is everything!”
In the meantime, you can listen to her music on Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube.
Follow her on Instagram @kelanore