Esperanza Spalding facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Esperanza Spalding
Spalding performing in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Esperanza Emily Spalding
Born	(1984-10-18) October 18, 1984 (age 40) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Genres	Jazz jazz fusion bossa nova Latin jazz neo soul R&B third stream
Occupation(s)	Musician composer educator bandleader
Instruments	Double bass bass guitar vocals
Years active	2000–present
Labels	Ayva Musica Heads Up Concord
Associated acts	Patti Austin Joe Lovano

Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984) is a famous American musician who plays the bass, sings, and writes her own songs. She is known for mixing different styles of music, like jazz, bossa nova, and R&B.

Spalding has won five Grammy Awards, which are some of the biggest awards in music. One of her most famous wins was for Best New Artist in 2011. She has also received special honors from top music schools like the Berklee College of Music.

Born in Portland, Oregon, Spalding was a musical talent from a very young age. She started playing the violin at just five years old. Later, she taught herself to play other instruments, including the guitar and bass. Her skills helped her earn scholarships to study music in college.

Over her career, Spalding has released many successful albums. Her 2010 album, Chamber Music Society, was a big hit and led to her first Grammy win. She continues to create new and exciting music, and she has also worked as a music professor at Harvard University.

Life and Career

A Musical Start in Oregon

Esperanza Emily Spalding was born on October 18, 1984, in Portland, Oregon. She was raised by her mother in a neighborhood in northeast Portland. As a child, she was mostly home-schooled.

Spalding showed a love for music very early. Her mother noticed she could play songs by Beethoven on the piano by ear. Spalding said that watching the famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma on the TV show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood inspired her to become a musician.

At age five, she had already taught herself to play the violin. She was so good that she joined the Chamber Music Society of Oregon and played with them for ten years. Even though some people called her a musical prodigy, Spalding said she was just surrounded by talented people.

As a teenager, she learned to play the oboe, clarinet, and finally the double bass. She started playing bass at her performing arts high school and quickly fell in love with the instrument. At 15, she got her first paying job playing bass in a blues club.

College and Early Career

Spalding left high school at 16 and earned her GED. She then won a scholarship to study music at Portland State University. She was the youngest bass player in the program.

Her bass teacher encouraged her to apply to the famous Berklee College of Music. She received a full scholarship to attend. While at Berklee, she impressed her teachers and fellow musicians. Famous jazz guitarist Pat Metheny told her she had a special talent and should stick with music.

Spalding at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy, 2007

After graduating from Berklee, she was hired as a teacher there at only 20 years old. This made her one of the youngest instructors in the school's history.

In 2006, she released her first album, Junjo. Spalding said the album was a team effort with her band members.

2008–2010: Rise to Fame

Spalding performs at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert of 2009

In 2008, Spalding released her second album, Esperanza. This album was designed to show her unique style as an artist. It mixed jazz, Brazilian music, and even some hip-hop. Many people loved her fresh sound and her light, optimistic singing voice.

During this time, she toured with famous musicians like singer Patti Austin and saxophonist Joe Lovano. These tours helped her grow as a performer.

In 2009, Spalding was invited by U.S. President Barack Obama to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Norway. This was a huge honor and showed how much her music was respected around the world.

2011–2015: Grammy Wins and New Music

The year 2011 was a major turning point for Spalding. At the 53rd Grammy Awards, she won the award for Best New Artist. This was a surprise win, as she beat several more famous pop artists.

Her third album, Chamber Music Society (2010), became very popular after her Grammy win. It combined jazz with classical music. One song on the album, "Little Fly," set a poem by William Blake to music.

Spalding sings to the audience at the North Sea Jazz Festival, 2009

In 2012, she released her fourth album, Radio Music Society. With this album, she wanted to make jazz music that could be played on mainstream radio. It was a success and won a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

In 2013, Spalding released the song "We Are America" to protest the Guantánamo prison camps. Famous artists like Stevie Wonder and Harry Belafonte appeared in the song's video.

2016–Present: Creative Experiments

In 2016, Spalding released Emily's D+Evolution, a concept album with a funk rock sound. For this project, she created an alter ego named Emily, which is her middle name. The album explored new sounds and ideas.

In 2017, she began a unique experiment. She decided to create an entire album, called Exposure, in just 77 hours. She streamed the whole process live on Facebook for her fans to watch. Only 7,777 copies of the album were sold.

Her next album, 12 Little Spells (2018), was also very creative. She released one new song, or "spell," each day for twelve days. Each song was connected to a different part of the body. This album won another Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Spalding continues to work on new projects. She co-wrote an opera called Iphigenia with the legendary jazz musician Wayne Shorter. In 2024, she released a collaborative album with Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento called Milton + Esperanza.

Artistry and Influences

Spalding is interested in music from all over the world, especially from Brazil. She can sing in several languages, including English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

She has said that her musical heroes include jazz bassists Ron Carter and Dave Holland, as well as saxophonist Wayne Shorter. She also looks up to artists like Joni Mitchell and Prince. Spalding believes that to be a good musician, you have to stay curious and learn about the world.

Spalding alternates between double bass and electric bass in her performances.

Instruments

Spalding is known for playing both the electric bass and the acoustic double bass.

Electric Bass

• Fender Jaco Pastorius Jazz Bass (fretless)
• South Paw Fretless 5-string
• Moollon Chambered Double P5 Fretless Bass

Acoustic Bass Guitar

• Doolin ABG4
• Godin A5 (semi-acoustic, 5-string, fretless)

Double Bass

• 7/8 double bass
• Czech-Ease Standard model S1 acoustic road bass

Amplifiers

• Ampeg SVT-4PRO
• Ampeg PN-410HLF cab

Strings

• Fender 9050M Stainless Steel Flatwound Long Scale (.055–.105)

Charity Work and Activism

Spalding operating a music education booth at Austin City Limits Music Festival, 2012

Spalding uses her fame to help others. During a tour in 2012, she donated money from merchandise sales to Free the Slaves, an organization that works to end modern-day slavery.

She has also performed at benefit concerts to support music education programs and local community groups in Oregon. Spalding is an advocate for public parks and supports The Trust for Public Land, an organization that protects open spaces for people to enjoy.

Discography

Studio albums

• Junjo (2006)
• Esperanza (2008)
• Chamber Music Society (2010)
• Radio Music Society (2012)
• Emily's D+Evolution (2016)
• Exposure (2017)
• 12 Little Spells (2018)
• Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
• Alive at the Village Vanguard with Fred Hersch (2023)
• Milton + esperanza with Milton Nascimento (2024)

Awards

See also

In Spanish: Esperanza Spalding para niños