esperanza spalding

Virtuoso bassist, compelling singer and innovative composer: several terms of power go for five-time Grammy winner esperanza spalding. She transcends many musical boundaries.

Born in Portland in 1984 and rooted in the North American jazz tradition, esperanza has developed a sound all her own. ‘Jazz has always been a melting pot of influences and I intend to integrate them all,’ she once said herself about that approach. As an “eaabibacliitoti” artist (which stands for European-African ancestored being influenced by American cultures living in Indigenous Territories of Turtle Island), she brings music from a special perspective. In 2023, she showed her versatility during her residency at North Sea Jazz festival, where she performed a different project every day (a duo concert with Fred Hersch, a grand dance project and several workshops). She is known for concerts where she also asks the audience to participate.