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Grammys 2011: Esperanza Spalding beats Justin Bieber to best new artist
Justin Bieber, all dolled up in his white tuxedo, probably thought that he had best new artist in the bag at the Grammys. But it's Esperanza Spalding, a lesser-known jazz bassist and singer, who now has bragging rights to one of the Grammys' biggest kudos. Spalding beats out Bieber, Drake, Florence & the Machine and Mumford & Sons for the honor that's previously gone to icons like Mariah Carey, Carly Simon and the Beatles -- and some less aspirational acts such as Milli Vanilli and Evanescence.
But who is this woman who has no doubt made several hundred thousand teenage girl enemies? The 26-year-old Oregonian has been playing almost her entire life, having taught herself the violin by the time she was five. She's recorded three solo albums ("Junjo," "Esperanza," and "Chamber Music Society"), and, at 20 years old, became the youngest professor at Berklee College of Music -- a position she continues to hold when she's not touring.
Here's the video for "Little Fly," one of the singles off of her Grammy-qualifying "Chamber Music Society":
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Photo/Video credit: Getty Images
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Justin Bieber is not a new artist. Esperanza's win upset Florence and the Machine fans, who thought she was the most deserving win of the award. I'd have pulled a Kanye....
congratulation to esperanza and the grammy awards itself. For the first time ever, they chose true talent or manufactored "talent". myself thought that justin would win. But i think the voting members took a long look at bieber and realized he sound more like a teenage girl on steriods. Esperanza has hair just like bieber, but the only difference is, she ions more talented than him. way to go, professor
Congratulations Esperanza! Finally, true talent wins!
No one really even knows this chic... And she isn't a new artist either, not if she has release three albums already...(F.Y.I an EP/Mixtape is not and album) NOT fair. I just don't understand that. And just because you don't like the oter artist or the that type of music doesn't not mean they do not have talent. Don't be a Hater!!
I don't know who even votes for the Grammy winners but I think it's wack!
BTW.. did any black artist even except an award on stage????