Esnavi

Official Biography (courtesy of Esnavi)

Until you experience Esnavi it may be difficult to understand the name or what defines it.  The moment you meet her it all makes sense, Eclectic, Soulful, Natural, Authentic, Vivacious, and Intriguing – E S N A V I {Es-Nah-V}.  A singer/songwriter hailing from Milwaukee, now residing in New York City, she is a multifaceted artist with a voice of undeniable soul, lyrics of thought provoking truth, and music that harmoniously blends everything in between.  Her first single, Unexpected Love, has already reached the Top 40 on the Urban Adult Contemporary Charts.  Her highly anticipated album Exit E, which released on October 18, 2011, is a 16-song musical journey inspired by societal observations, the universe, real life stories and imagination. She’s on a mission to fulfill her purpose of enlightening the world through her music.

Although new to the mainstream, Esnavi has been on this journey for years.  As a very young child, her performing and writing skills were fostered.  At the tender age of 3, she performed for the first time at a Miss Wisconsin Pageant and acquired a love for writing poems around the age of 8.  A love for music was evident during those years as well.  Her vocal ability, however, wasn’t discovered until she was in high school.  It was then that the music she listened to growing up started to subconsciously mold the artist Esnavi is today.  From Stevie Wonder to Annie Lennox to U2 to Miles Davis, she was drawn to all genres of music.  During high school she joined the RUHS Advanced Choir and participated in talent shows to showcase her gift.  Once she graduated from high school, the layers came together and Esnavi was writing, recording and performing with local studio, Top Floor. 

After high school she pursued a marketing degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  While studying, she began writing songs again, teaching herself chords on the piano and immersing herself in music.  “Music became the driving force in my life while in college, and the moment I turned in my last exam, I had an epiphany.”  She realized becoming part of the corporate world was not her calling, but becoming an extraordinary artist was.  “Singing was the only thing I envisioned myself doing.  I became so passionate about it because I knew I had something unique to share.”  No stranger to recording and performing, she had no qualms about making her move to New York.  She teamed up with fellow Milwaukee native, producer Fulani Hart and completed recording her first project in which she co-wrote, Uncommon Ground in 2005.  The album was never officially released on a label, but Esnavi created enough buzz on the New York music scene to get noticed.

New York audiences were soon captivated with performances that brilliantly showcased her stellar vocals and versatility at historic music venues such as CBGB’s, Joe’s Pub, Village Underground, The Groove, Crash Mansion, The Shrine, and S.O.B.'s.  As word traveled about this indie powerhouse, she caught the attention of television networks and appeared on BET’s The BETJ List as a featured unsigned artist and on MTV’s reality show The City.  Watching her perform you sense a savvy entertainer with a deeply embedded passion.  “I belong on stage.  This is my home.  It’s where I connect to the audience with my live energy.”  She remains true to that connection by living in the moment each time she graces the stage.  Earlier this year, she wowed the crowd at her Paris Blues show with an impromptu freestyle of her song “Ding Ding” with beat box legend Rahzel, member of The Original Roots Crew. In April, her performance at S.O.B.’s Sol Village, hosted by Eric Roberson, exemplified her prowess to go off script and keep the crowd engaged.

With the release of Exit E, which she co-wrote with producer, Michel Kunz, Esnavi is ready to take her career to the next level.  Her current single, Unexpected Love, has taken the radio industry by storm as it steadily climbs the charts.  Despite comparisons to the likes of India.Arie, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill, Esnavi is definitely in a lane of her own.  Her voice is clearly distinct and the beautifully arranged story that comprises Exit E is incomparable.  “We wanted to create good music that transcends everything.  Music that anyone in the world could listen to and love.”  When you listen to her music, see her perform live and feel her energy, you experience Esnavi.  “This journey is not about becoming a celebrity.  It’s about music that stems from a real place with substance people can feel and relate to.” Esnavi is truly an original artist on the brink of delivering a unique sound of soul to the world…her soul.