 
EsNtion Latino’s latest discovery, Batista, is a singer/songwriter, the product of New York City's urban jungle of rhythms and multi-cultural flavors. Born in Brooklyn of Dominican heritage and raised on the island of Manhattan, Batista claims that his love and passion for music came naturally to him after years of observing and absorbing everything musical around him since his early childhood. He taught himself to play the guitar, followed by the piano, and soon mastered the process of songwriting, in addition to singing lead and background vocals. As a young man, Batista built his own recording studio, rapidly learning the business of making music, becoming a producer and recording many aspiring local artists. His influences span from rock to pop (BonJovi and Inxs), to urban to Latin music (Leo Dan, Camilo Sesto, the Buena Vista Social Club, and Juan Luis Guerra).
His debut (produced by EsNtion Latino, a subsidiary of EsNtion Records, Inc.) is simply titled Batista and delivers a repertoire of scores fused with elements of tropical rhythms (favoring bachata), as well as elements of pop/rock and U.S. urban tendencies. In describing the essence of his compositions, Batista explained: "I follow the music, what's in my heart; I write what I hear internally. One day my inspirations may direct me to write a romantic love song or a bachata and another time an R&B score or a more upbeat composition. It’s all about how I feel at the time and not about using a particular formula to create a song or bind myself to a specific style or form of music. In this recording, most of the selections that I included are geared towards the tropical market and to the Latin world's music audiences. In reality, this production is a tribute to my Dominican culture and the music of my parents, which is also a big part of me. As I continue to grow as a songwriter/singer, my other musical colors and flavors will surface, taking me to other stages in other markets." The 12 tracks in this new recording incorporate selections with both Spanish and English lyrics, variable forms of bachata and experimental approaches to the tropical genre, as well as a bolero and a reggaetón track. The first single released is the track Dame Tu Amor, a Spanish-language variation of the classic Bee Gees mega-hit How Deep is Your Love, rewritten and arranged to a bachata by Batista. With the use of traditional bachata instrumentation, including electric guitar and bass, bongó and güira, Batista brings bachata up to date with the aid of technology via sequences and samples. At the end of the day, the rhythm of bachata, the Dominican Republic’s version of the blues, gets a commendable run in the hands and interpretations of one of its newest exponents-Batista. |
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Bassist/vocalist/composer Esperanza Spalding is a brilliant new talent on the jazz horizon. A musical prodigy since her childhood in Portland, Oregon, Spalding enrolled at the prestigious Berklee College of Music at the age of 16, exceeding all expectations and eventually becoming the youngest professor in the school's history. Prior to completing her studies she was already touring and recording with the likes of Patti Austin, Joe Lovano and Pat Metheny.
Born in 1984 and raised by a single mother on what she calls "the other side of the tracks" (in a multi-lingual household and neighborhood in Portland, Oregon), Spalding learned early the meaning of perseverance and moral character from her mother. Home-schooled for a significant portion of her elementary school years due to a lengthy illness, Esperanza never quite adjusted to instruction in the conventional school setting. However, the one thing that always made sense to her from a very early age was music. At the age of four, she was mesmerized by a performance by classical cellist Yo Yo Ma on an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Within a year, she had essentially taught herself to play the violin, and subsequently joined the Chamber Music Society of Oregon (a community orchestra that was open to both children and adult musicians). Esperanza stayed with the group for ten years, and by the age of 15, she had been elevated to a concertmaster position. During this time, she had also discovered the bass, and all non-classical possibilities the instrument could offer her. Before long, Esperanza found herself playing blues, funk, hip-hop and many other styles and forms of music on the local club circuit. She admits that even though she was the songwriter and lead singer at the gigs, during this early period of her musical experience, her compositions lacked maturity and substance, due to her inexperience in matters of love and life.
By age 16, Spalding left high school for good, armed with her GED and a generous scholarship, which she used to enroll in the music program at Portland State University. The youngest bass player in the program, Esperanza found herself a bit overwhelmed with the structured academic system of said university, and after a semester, decided to head to the east coast to attend the Berklee College of Music. After three years of accelerated studies at Berklee, Esperanza earned a B.M. degree and signed on as an instructor in 2005 at age 20, becoming the youngest faculty member in the history of the college. That same year, she became the recipient of the prestigious Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstanding musicianship. The Berklee years found Spalding working with many notable artists including Michel Camilo, Dave Samuels, Stanley Clark, Pat Metheny, Patti Austin, Donald Harrison, and Joe Lovano, all of whom helped to reinforce the amazing learning experiences of this young musician. Today, at age 23, Esperanza Spalding is starting the next chapter of her musical career with the release of her self-titled (Esperanza) debut CD on the Heads Up International label. Set for worldwide release on May 20, Esperanza's bandleading debut serves to display her acoustic bass chops and angelical vocals, spanning three languages (English, Spanish and Portuguese). This CD also showcases her composing and arranging skills, as well as her fresh and progressive approach to making music. Indeed, Esperanza is a bright, shining star to watch for. (Photo by Johann Sauty)-Rudy Mangual |
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