Why I’m Excited: Eska
In a continuing series on the blog, we're going to be hearing about parts of the Lineup for 2011 that people are particularly looking forward to. (For all Why I'm Excited posts, click here.)
If there's something on the Greenbelt 2011 programme that you're particularly looking forward to, do email us a paragraph or two saying why, and we'll put it up here on the blog...
From the Greenbelt music team, here's writer, radio producer and DJ George Luke is excited about Eska, who will be appearing in the Performance Cafe...
Whenever I think of Eska Mtungwazi, the first word that springs to mind is "Joy". Happiness just oozes from her whenever she's on stage!
I first saw Eska at the Jazz Cafe in the late 90s, fronting an all-female jazz band on a show titled Women Take Centre Stage. Even back then, I felt that she and Greenbelt would be a good fit. It could have been the spirituality of some of her songs that struck a chord. Or maybe it was the great musicianship. Or maybe it was that overwhelming feeling of joy I mentioned earlier. Or probably all those things...
I've seen Eska in various guises since that first night at the Jazz Cafe: playing keyboards for Lewis Taylor, and singing for everyone from Courtney Pine and Soweto Kinch to Nitin Sawhney and Zero 7. Though known primarily for jazz, Eska also does opera, R&B and the occasional dance track. She's one of Britain's – and Zimbabwe's – finest musical treasures.
Technically speaking, Eska has played Greenbelt before – in 2008, as lead vocalist for the Matthew Herbert Big Band. This year, we'll get to see her performing as herself, so to speak, in the Performance Cafe.
