Thursday, February 17, 2011

Black History Month Celebrates- Esperanza Spalding

A Tribute to Talent and Diversity by J. Wesley Beeks



What sounds tastes like ambrosia and cascades across Brazilian landscapes as gossamer winds? Esperanza Spalding that’s who! This breath of much needed tropical air breezed in and with languid pools of heavenly chords brought in a new era. She won the best new artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards. The nominees for this category were Drake, Mumford and Sons, Justin Bieber and Florence and the Machine were also nominated. The other nominees were in the genres of Pop and Rock but Esperanza Spalding made history as the first Jazz artist to win in this category. Justin Bieber was the favored contender as his meteoric rise in Pop music rippled throughout the industry and being a protégé of Usher did not hurt either. When the winner was announced a thunder shocked the audience and a new pioneer emerged. As she approached the stage she bathed everyone with her uncomplicated demeanor, luxurious beauty and radiant talent all bundled in a magnificent swath of emerald elegance.

A child prodigy she learned to play the violin at age five and plays the oboe and clarinet. Her primary instrument is the bass and she sings in English , Spanish and Portuguese. A career highlight was performing at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies in 2009 in honor of Laureate President Barack Obama. Clearly her passion for music is understated by mature and elegant demeanor which resonates to an appreciation of life and all its challenges and gifts. She wears her lineage proudly as a woman of African descent with a Welsh, Hispanic and Native American background ,a conglomerate of diversity and cultural bounty. She is bringing Jazz to the urban and contemporary genres with her unique brand of musicality. Let’s all invite her in to sit a spell and dream of fonder things.

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