Esperanza Spalding (born October 18, 1984 in Portland , Oregon [1] ) an American multi-instrumentalist best known as a jazz bassist and singer , who draws upon many genres in her own compositions. She won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards .
Biography
Early life and education
Spalding grew up in the King neighborhood of Portland, Oregon , a neighborhood she describes as "ghetto " and "pretty scary". Her mother, who raised her and her brother as a single parent, was an independent, industrious woman.
Spalding is of African-American , Welsh and Spanish descent, and describes this as a diverse ethnic heritage that includes "Welsh, Hispanic, and Native American roots in addition to the unidentified roots from Africa". Her black roots come from her father: "My mom is Welsh, Hispanic, and Native American, and my father is black." Her Hispanic roots trace through her mother, a native of Southern California , who indirectly educated Spalding in Spanish by hiring a Cuban nanny