CeCe Teneal brings ‘Divas of Soul’ to Lakeport Opera House

LACONIA — When CeCe Teneal hits the stage and the lights go dim, be prepared to embark on a soulful journey set to the “soundtrack of her life.”

Known for her ability to evoke nostalgia and emotion, while also simultaneously challenging people’s comfort zones with her soulful melodies, Teneal will perform Sunday, Aug. 23, at the Lakeport Opera House. Doors open at 3 p.m.

Divas of Soul, a one-of-a-kind concert event, is a big city experience coming right to Laconia.

“We believe in bringing the big city experience to smaller towns or cities. I love it when a town or city is 20,000 to 30,000 people, because they have a different mentality ... but they still enjoy some of the same things,” Teneal said in a phone interview Friday from New York City, on her way to New Hampshire. “Music is one of those things.”

It’s an intimate affair, intentionally.

“Right there, in that 90 minutes, it’s about those people who are present. It’s about our organic musical connection,” Teneal said. “Our full heart is on the stage from song No. 1. It is our heart, it is our soul.”

Singing the hits of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan and more, Teneal grew up as no stranger to their songs. Her mother was a singer.

My biggest inspiration is “my mom. I was really inspired by the likes — as most Black girl soul singers, right? — of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston,” Teneal said. “Those are the people we pay homage to.”

Teneal began performing in 2022, but she’s always been a star.

Singing her “small town” church as a young girl in Florida, she realized early on that she had a set of pipes.

“I kinda discovered it by happenstance. If your momma can sing, you can sing,” Teneal said, explaining a social understanding. “It’s cultivated to be that way. That’s how it all started, just from being a little girl in a country church.”

Her grassroots promotional efforts have landed her all over the country, including as a performer on cruise ships. Her schedule has upcoming performances from California, to Wisconsin, to Iowa.

Teneal has been nominated for four Independent Music Awards, and claimed the title for 2011 Best Gospel Song (“I Heard You Prayin’”) and 2011 Best R&B Album (“Train from Osteen”), as well as 2018 Best Soul/Funk/Fusion Song ("Danger").

She’s ready for her Laconia debut.

“It’s really the soundtrack of my life. The songs my mom would sing while doing Saturday morning chores,” Teneal said. “I sing them with such tenacity. It’s not just about singing a song that’s a hit. It’s CeCe’s life 100 hits, things that are inherently nostalgic.”

For more information, visit lakeportopera.com.

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Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.