aireene espiritu
My latest project, The Sampaguitas, sing Filipino folk songs and inspired originals in three-part harmony. Drawing influences from folk, blues, doo-wop girl groups, and the Filipinx-American diaspora, Jenevieve Francisco, Cristina Ibarra, and Aireene Espiritu share music from their roots and explore what it means to be in a “third culture” between worlds. The sampaguita is the national flower of the Philippines and only fitting to describe the sweet sounds coming from their melded vocal textures, tones, and tight harmonies.
STOMPIN' SWAYIN' TIMELESS AMERICANA
CONNECT
Aireene Espiritu Plumbs Deep into the Well of American Music Los Angeles Times, Jonny Whiteside
“Folk singer-songwriter Aireene Espiritu works in the elemental substance of vernacular American music with an uncanny ease. Whether blues, hillbilly, soul, folk or R&B...demonstrates masterly command of each. Her original compositions mix deft lyrical construction and classic form just as impressively...An authentic, authoritative vocalist and with distinctly sensitive manner of phrasing... Bay Area-based Espiritu's arrival as California folk's legitimate forces...” continue reading.
ADDITIONAL ITEMS
Five Buddhas On The Road Series, $20 plus tax/shipping.
Six greeting cards from your favorite Five Buddhas On The Road series.
2016 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Witch for a Night (Sugar Pie DeSanto)
Little Village Foundation All Stars: Eric Spaulding (sax), Christopher Lund Andersen (guitar),
D'Mar (drums), Vance Ehlers (bass), Lisa Leuschner Andersen (backup vocals), Jim Pugh (keys).
Video courtesy of Chime Interactive
bioSOLO
very short bio
Stompin', swayin', timeless Americana
short bio
Aireene is a singer/songwriter playing mostly original songs accompanied by latin/african rhythms, folk, bluegrass pickings and inspirations from gospel music - a mix of stompin', swayin', and timeless Americana.
long bio
Aireene Espiritu is a singer/songwriter playing mostly original songs accompanied by latin/african rhythms, folk, bluegrass pickings and inspirations from gospel music - a mix of stompin', swayin', and timeless Americana.
She was born in the Philippines and moved to the United States at 10 years old, growing up in the third culture: the old country, the new country and a blend of both worlds. Mainly influenced by listening to Alan Lomax's field recordings from the South and growing up listening to her uncles' Filipino folk guitar fingerpicking, her music is reminiscent of front porch storytelling, of ghosts and the living, times of laughter and tears. She tours solo as well as with her band as Aireene & The Itch.
Her fifth album, Back Where I Belong (2016), pays tribute to the great rhythm and blues artist Sugar Pie DeSanto along with favorite American and Filipino folk songs produced produced by Little Village Foundation, a non-profit label founded by venerable blues keyboardist Jim Pugh. The album has received positive recognition and reviews from KQED's The California Report, San Francisco Chronicle, Living Blues and No Depression magazines. 4.5 out of 5 stars review All About Jazz.
A Color-Coded Symphony is her latest project which premiered at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum in 2017. This performance piece is a musical experience connecting the audience’s ethnic origins to rhythms of the world and whose aim is to nurture curiosity and openness towards other cultures through music.