Eska (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eska
Background information
Birth name	Eska Mtungwazi
Born	1971 (age 53–54)
Origin	Lewisham, London, England
Genres	Folk, soul, jazz, dance
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, record producer, session musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, violin, piano
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Earthling Recordings
Associated acts	Stephen Emmanuel, Zero 7, Nitin Sawhney

Eska Mtungwazi (born in 1971), known professionally as Eska, is a talented British singer-songwriter. She was born in London and plays many instruments. Eska started her solo music career in 2013 with her Gatekeeper EP. Her first full album, called ESKA, was released in 2015.

Eska's Early Life and Music Beginnings

Eska Mtungwazi grew up in South-East London. Her parents were from Zimbabwe and moved to London when Eska was two years old. She says she listened to "anything and everything" when she was young.

One of her biggest musical influences was Quincy Jones. With help from her teachers, Eska started learning the violin. She even earned a scholarship to The Conservatoire in Blackheath. She also enjoyed exploring other music, like Bob Marley. Eska is also a former student of Tomorrow's Warriors, a group that helps young musicians.

Eska's Musical Journey

Before becoming a full-time musician, Eska earned a degree in Mathematics from the London School of Economics. She then worked as a teacher, teaching both Maths and Music.

For many years, Eska sang backing vocals for other musicians. She became well-known in the UK for working with many British artists and bands. These included famous names like Grace Jones and Bobby McFerrin.

In 2013, Eska released her first solo project, the Gatekeeper EP. She released it on her own label, Earthling Recordings. The EP had five original songs. It was praised by music critics around the world. BBC Radio 6 DJ Gilles Peterson called her "one of the most important singers in the UK right now."

In 2007, Eska joined the music group Zero 7 as a vocalist. This happened after their previous singer, Sia, left the group. Eska's influence helped Zero 7 focus more on pop music. In June 2022, Eska also performed as the opening act for Grace Jones at the Meltdown festival in London.

Her Albums and EPs

The ESKA Album

Eska released her first full album, ESKA, on April 26, 2015. Critics really liked the album. It was even nominated for the 2015 Mercury Music Prize. This is a very important music award in the UK.

Future Music Plans

In 2016, it was announced that Eska would receive funding to help create her second album. This funding came from the PRS Foundation's #Momentum program. They said Eska's new album would continue to show her amazing creativity.

Eska's Music Releases

Albums

• ESKA (2015)

EPs

• Gatekeeper EP (2013)

Singles

As the main artist

• "Rock of Ages" (2015)
• "Shades of Blue" (2015)

As a featured artist (singing with other artists)

• "What U Do" (with Colours / Stephen Emmanuel) (1998)
• "Coochy Coo" (as En-Core with Stephen Emmanuel) (2000)
• "Sunset" (with Nitin Sawhney) (2001)