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Titilayo Rachel Adedokun (born 1973) is an American singer and beauty pageant titleholder. She sang in numerous opera roles worldwide and has also recorded and collaborated in several jazz albums.

Early life and education

Adedokun was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to Nigerian immigrants. Her father was a pastor with a doctorate in theology, so she grew up from childhood with church music. She is a graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, where she studied singing. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Judson College in Marion, Alabama. After winning the 1996/97 Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship to Milan, Italy, she lived for five years there and studied classical singing with Vincenzo Manno and Renata Scotto. She also worked with the jazz pianist and composer Giorgio Gaslini.

Pageantry

When Adedokun was at the Judson College in Marion, Alabama, a teacher persuaded her to take part in a beauty contest. At the first competition in Marion, she was far behind. Adedokun took this decision "very racist" and proceeded to compete at the Miss Alabama pageant, where she emerged fifth position in the 1990 finalists. She then participated in another beauty contest in 1993 where she was crowned Miss Ohio, and later became second runner-up in the Miss America pageant in 1994. Adedokun used her prize winnings to finance her vocal training in Italy.

Singing

In 2002, she was engaged for the first time in Germany. She appeared at the opera festival on Immling Estate in Halfing, Bavaria. The following year, she performed in Germany the role of Giulietta in The Tales of Hoffmann. To mark the centenary of Verdi's death, she sang in the Franco Zeffirelli staging of Aida at Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Busseto, Italy, in the title role.

Adedokun played roles in La bohème, Carmen, The Tales of Hoffmann, The Magic Flute, Porgy and Bess and Boccaccio. She has appeared in the United States, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Russia and Hungary. In 2008, she starred in several German cities in a touring performance of Kiss Me, Kate.

Since 2009, Adedokun performs regularly at the festival Munich Swings. Some of her songs have been recorded in the Yoruba language.

Personal life

Since 2004, Adedokun has lived in Munich, where she married Ruediger Helm and has three children.

Discography

• A Child Again (GLM, 2009)
• Look at Me (Downhill, 2014)

As guest

• Giorgio Gaslini, Duke Ellington Legend (Agora, 2000)

References

1. Phil Gregory (March 20, 2009). "Titilayo Rachel Adedokun – Opera, Jazz and Musicals Performer – Germany". The Black Presence in Britain.
2. Jayne Keedle (2009). West African Americans. Marshall Cavendish. p. 61. ISBN 9780761443131.
3. "UC student shows winning ways and takes Miss America crown".
4. "Miss South Carolina Is 1994 Miss America". Jet. Vol. 84, no. 23. Johnson Publishing Company. October 4, 1993. ISSN 0021-5996.
5. Iver Peterson (September 18, 1993). "From Mixed Messages, Miss America Emerges". The New York Times.
6. ^ "Black Female Musicians". Women of the African Diaspora. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
7. "Munich Swings (München swingt)" (in German). September 2, 2012. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012.
8. "From Opera to Ella: The former beauty queen Titilayo Adedokun studied classical singing and is one of the attractions at 'Munich swings'", Süddeutsche Zeitung, February 9, 2012, page R14 (interview with Oliver Hochkeppel)
9. "Alumna Returns to Judson for Surprise Performance". The Alabama Baptist. September 12, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2015.

External links

• Official website

• 1973 births
• Living people
• American musicians of Nigerian descent
• American people of Yoruba descent
• Yoruba beauty pageant contestants
• Miss America 1994 delegates
• American women jazz singers
• American jazz singers
• American operatic sopranos
• American expatriates in Germany
• Beauty pageant contestants from Tennessee
• University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music alumni
• Yoruba women musicians
• Nigerian jazz singers
• Nigerian women jazz singers
• Judson College (Alabama) alumni
• American expatriates in Italy
• Singers from Nashville, Tennessee
• American beauty pageant winners
• Yoruba-language singers of the United States
• Miss America Preliminary Talent winners
• 20th-century American singers
• 20th-century American women singers
• 21st-century American women singers
• 21st-century American singers
• 21st-century Nigerian singers
• Jazz musicians from Tennessee