Multi-faceted singer, songwriter and artist Tianna Esperanza enters the landscape with her captivating debut single “Lewis” – a fittingly powerful and emotive release coinciding with America’s Black History Month.
Inspired by Lewis H. Michaux, the owner of Harlem’s historic African National Memorial Bookstore, Esperanza unleashes a grippingly soulful, partially spoken-word track that will be sure to prick up ears both sides of the Atlantic.
Growing up as queer & bi-racial in the affluent, white culture of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Tianna is also the granddaughter of famed punk drummer, Palmolive – pioneering founder of legendary all-female punk band the Slits and the Raincoats. It’s immediately clear that Tianna’s own appetite for changing the narrative sits front and centre of her experience, a precociously intelligent and potent head on young shoulders.
As much as Tianna’s compelling mix of pure vocal talent and defiant political stance delivers a punchy sound well beyond her twenty-one years, teaming up with director Peter Campbell (Saba) for a stunning set of visuals, the emerging talent demonstrates her ability to craft a vintage sense of nostalgia, whilst maintaining a fierce relevance to today’s landscape.
Speaking on the release, Esperanza states: “Lewis [Michaux] woke me up to the reality of classism, racism, and religious oppression, and where they connect American people of all races. I began to think about how that struggle was interwoven in the fabric of my own multi-racial identity – I felt empowered by Lewis to own my voice.”
With influences ranging from Nina Simone to Public Enemy to Gil Scott-Heron, Esperanza emerges as a high-calibre, uniquely talented artist and fashion muse in the making. With a slew of music promised this year, she’ll be sure to continue to gain significant attention.
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