Oct 2, 2023
WeNeedToTalk Returns next week on October 9th!
#WeNeedTo Talk is hosted by MALYNDA HALE. SHE IS A SINGER/SONGWRITER, ACTRESS, ENTREPRENEUR & ACTIVIST.
Malynda was born and raised in sunny Santa Barbara, California where she began singing at the age of 5. At the age of seven she learned to play the piano, and by the age of nine, she was writing her own music. Her love for music and desire to make a difference in the world has led her to be recognized many times for her work. She won “Best Female Vocalist” at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, “Best Pop Music Video” at the Indie Music Channel Awards, and “Pop Song of the Year” at The Josie Music Awards. She has been a headliner for the NAMM show, has opened for artists such as Tyrone Wells, Ernie Halter, Levi Kreis, OTOWN and Smokey Robinson and sung background for Melissa Manchester, Terron Brooks and Foreigner. Pre-covid she was touring the world as a guest entertainer on cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Regent, and Celebrity. She has sung the national anthem numerous times for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, LA Galaxy, and the California Democratic National Convention and she recently had music featured on the CBS hit soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful as well as the Disney channel tv show Saturdays. She was also a featured soloist in WhyHunger’s: Drum Together version of The Beatles classic “Come Together”. The project featured over 100 drummers and musicians including Ringo Starr.
As an actress she has appeared in stage productions of Once of This Island, Dreamgirls, and Bye Bye Birdie as well as numerous national commercials, independent films and the Lifetime TV Network movie ” A Hunt for Truth” alongside Willa Ford. Most recently she starred in a feature film alongside Loretta Divine and Amy Madigan and a short film with Danielle Beckman and Bobby Moynihan. She also played “Tanta Kringle” in the Troubadour Theatre company’s performance of “Santa Claus is coming to Motown” and The Soul Sister Fairy Godmother in Cindy and the Disco Ball, a 70’s version of Cinderella at the Garry Marshall Theatre.
Past guests on the show have included: Cornel West, John Pavlovitz, Shaun King, Kyla Pratt, Frederick Joseph, Richard Marx, Michelle Williams, Elisa Donovan, Jonah Platt, Sarah Jakes Roberts, Noa Tishby, Grace Semler Baldridge, Angel Parker, Dewayne Perkins, Nick Jones Jr., and more!
Because of her love for telling people’s stories, in January 2021 she created the Black Voices Heard Project, an ongoing video and photo series that seeks to amplify the experiences of Black Americans. Through this project, it is her hope that the negative perceptions of the Black community will be dismantled and the door will open for more understanding and empathy.
Malynda uses her voice through her music and social media presence as an educating activist to effect change within social justice, female empowerment, LGBTQ+ rights, veganism, the Black Lives Matter movement, Antisemitism and Progressive Christianity. Malynda has partnered with many organizations such as ACE For Change, Vocal Media, and Yahoo to spread messaging on voting rights, climate change and world hunger and has been a featured commentator on CNN, ABC News Live & Good Morning America. She currently serves as a curriculum and development consultant for ROC Era, a nonprofit committed to providing arts and mentorship programs to inner city youth, she is on the board for the Religions Coalition for Reproductive Choice, and for The New Evangelicals Non Profit and is an assistant producer at the Garry Marshall Theatre.
She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and dog. She is the owner of JMV Music Entertainment Agency and a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA and NARAS.. When she’s not working she loves to binge watch a good Netflix series.