Grammy-Nominated Singer, Fulbright Scholar Perform for Black History Month at Pasadena Senior Center

A Grammy-nominated vocalist and a Fulbright scholar will take the stage together Thursday afternoon at the Pasadena Senior Center, bringing a program of music by Black composers and artists to the center’s Cultural Thursdays series for Black History Month.

Ronnie Ohannon and Marlaina Owens, both members of the Los Angeles-based DC6 Singers Collective, will perform at 2 p.m. at the center, 85 E. Holly St. The duo will present a selection of music composed by and made famous through Black artists, according to a press release from the Pasadena Senior Center. The event is free for center members and $5 for nonmembers.

The DC6 Singers Collective has collaborated with artists including Lady Gaga, CeCe Winans, John Legend, and Michael Bolton, and has performed with institutions including the LA Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony, according to the LA Philharmonic’s artist database. The ensemble appeared on the soundtrack of the 2025 Ryan Coogler film “Sinners” and has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, according to the Hollywood Bowl’s artist page.

The group is no stranger to Pasadena. The DC6 Singers have partnered regularly with MUSE/IQUE, the Pasadena-based performing arts nonprofit, appearing in the organization’s concerts at the Huntington, Skirball Cultural Center, and Mark Taper Forum, according to MUSE/IQUE’s program listings. The ensemble also performed at the Pasadena Senior Center during ArtNight Pasadena in 2024, according to a center press release.

Owens, a soprano and Los Angeles native, was a 2022-2023 Fulbright scholar who has performed throughout Austria, France, Germany, and the United States, according to her official website. She received her Master of Fine Arts in Voice from UC Irvine in 2019 and her bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Loyola Marymount University in 2016, according to UCI’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts. She champions African American classical compositions, according to the press release.

Ohannon is a singer, background vocalist, and vocal contractor who describes himself as Grammy Award-nominated on his professional profile. Originally from Philadelphia, he has worked with artists including Lady Gaga, U2, and John Legend, according to his professional profile. He is also a founding partner of GreyLoc Entertainment, a Los Angeles talent agency, and has toured with pop artist Andy Grammer, according to the agency’s website. His film credits include the music departments of “Get Out” (2017), “Detroit” (2017), and “Sinners” (2025), according to IMDb.

The DC6 Singers Collective was named after its debut performance in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony in March 2014, according to the group’s booking profile. The Los Angeles-based ensemble performs A Cappella, Gospel, Doo Wop, and R&B.

The Pasadena Senior Center, a donor-supported nonprofit that opened in 1960, serves more than 10,000 adults age 50 and older annually. The center does not receive local, state, or federal funding, according to the center’s website. Most members come from across Pasadena and Altadena.

The performance marks the latest in a line of Cultural Thursdays events that have brought professional-level arts programming to the center’s Holly Street home — with the performers’ combined credits reaching from the Hollywood Bowl to the big screen.

Reservations are suggested. To register, visit pasadenaseniorcenter.org, click on Lectures & Classes, then Cultural Thursdays, or call (626) 795-4331.