“I spoke two languages as a child—food and music. And I was fluent in both.” Chef and restaurateur Alexander Smalls might have had an unconventional transition from Grammy- and Tony Award–winning operatic tenor to fine-dining pioneer, but his second career in food was in him all along. Originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina, he’s made his home in New York City, where over the last 30 years he’s opened five successful restaurants grounded in Black American and African diasporic cuisine. He has recently released his fourth cookbook, written with food justice advocate Nina Oduro, The Contemporary African Kitchen, the first of its kind to focus exclusively on African cuisine by chefs based across the continent.

Kyla Marshell: You’ve previously shared that a rejection from the Metropolitan Opera inspired you to become a chef full-time. What’s that story?

Alexander Smalls: It was very hard to crack the big houses like the Met. I was waiting for them to offer me one of the major parts, but all I got was chorus and small character roles. I’d done the work. I had the pedigree and the credentials. There was nothing standing in my way, as far as I was concerned. And then I realized, well, yes, it’s your skin, and that will always be what it is.   

KM: How did you respond when that happened?