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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 in 1971, Mtungwazi grew up in Lewisham, South-East London. [1] She was raised by her Zimbabwean parents, who moved the family to London when she was two years old. [2] She cites Quincy Jones as being particularly influential during her youth. With the assistance of her teachers, she began learning the violin, earning herself a scholarship at the Conservatoire in Blackheath. [3] She is also an alumnus of the music education and artist development organization, Tomorrow's Warriors. [4]
Mtungwazi received 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 (co-produced by Matthew Herbert and David Okumu) included five original tracks. It received critical acclaim from various musicians, including DJ Gilles Peterson and Jamie Cullum[7]. Additionally, the title track was also selected by Peterson for his Brownswood Bubblers 10 compilation, released on Brownswood Recordings.[8]
Mtungwazi released her self-titled debut album, ESKA, on 26 April 2015[10], later 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 Radio 6 Music interview with Gilles Peterson,[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.[citation needed]
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