“Born in Portland, Oregon, in an underprivileged neighborhood where immigrants and locals shared the same hardships, she was given the Spanish name Esperanza. Of mixed Black and Latina heritage, the young girl possessed the same fierce determination as her mother, who raised her alone.
She discovered her musical calling very early, at just four years old, while watching cellist Yo-Yo Ma perform on television. She began experimenting with a violin and, largely self-taught, learned to master the instrument. By age five, she was already a member of the Oregon community orchestra, which brought together musicians of all ages and backgrounds. She grew with the ensemble, and by age 15, she was the orchestra’s concertmaster.
However, as a teenager, Esperanza had one foot in popular music—jazz in particular. The bass was the instrument she played with friends outside the orchestra, and by age 16, she was performing in a band playing parties and clubs.
At 17, she enrolled at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, the most important university dedicated to jazz education in the United States. Within three years, she had graduated and was invited to join the faculty as a bass instructor. At 20, she became the youngest teacher ever hired in the history of the university.
In 2008, at the age of 23, she released her debut album, titled simply Esperanza.
Esperanza Spalding’s music is the result of a vast blend of influences. It ranges from the classical foundations of her childhood studies to the hip-hop she heard on the streets of her neighborhood as a teenager. Yet, it is deeply rooted in jazz, with high-quality Brazilian music serving as a constant reference. A perfect example is the track we are about to hear, featuring Milton Nascimento: ‘Fairy Tale Song’, where Milton is accompanied by jazz giants such as Herbie Hancock on piano and Wayne Shorter on saxophone.”