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Eska Gillian Mtungwazi (born 1971), known professionally as Eska, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.[1] Following her inaugural release as a solo artist with her 2013 Gatekeeper EP, her self-titled debut album, ESKA, was released on 27 April 2015.
Born 1971, Mtungwazi grew up in Lewisham in South-East London.[1] She was raised by Zimbabwean parents who moved to London with her and her siblings when she was two.[2] She describes her early musical exposure as "anything and everything. It was a really crazy mixture".[2] She cites Quincy Jones as being particularly influential at her young age. With the assistance of her teachers, she began learning the violin, earning herself a scholarship at The Conservatoire in Blackheath,[3] while exploring her other musical interests such as Bob Marley.[citation needed] She is also an alumna of music education and artist development organization Tomorrow's Warriors.[4]
Mtungwazi received numerous vocal credits on independent releases throughout the 2000s and in 2013 released her debut solo project, Gatekeeper EP, through her self-owned label, Earthling Recordings. The EP featured five original tracks and was co-produced by producers Matthew Herbert and David Okumu. The EP attracted worldwide critical acclaim, including BBC Radio 6 broadcaster and DJ Gilles Peterson, who called her "one of the most important singers in the UK right now." Other praises include Jamie Cullum, who declared the EP's title track to be "an unbelievable track that will be hard to beat in 2013".[7] Additionally, the title track was also selected by Peterson for his Brownswood Bubblers 10 compilation, which was released on Brownswood Recordings.[8]
Mtungwazi released her self-titled debut album, ESKA, on 26 April 2015.[10]ESKA was nominated for the 2015 Mercury Music Prize.[11]
The Ordinary Life of a Magic Woman
Almost 10 years after her debut album's release, Mtungwazi released her sophomore album "The Ordinary Life of a Magic Woman" in April/May 2025. In a BBC 6 Music with Gilles Peterson interview,[12] she stated that releasing the vinyl first was a conscious decision "based on the principle that films go out to cinema first, so why in music don't we do the same?" The album was preceded by the release of four digital singles: "Down Here", "Magic Woman", "Human" and "Daddy Long Legs". The album is a mix of alternative rock and electronic sounds.
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