Elisa Ferrari
When Austin, Texas based folk-pop singer Elisa Ferrari was an infant, her parents often lulled her to sleep with the sound of music. As time passed, her connection to music grew even stronger and at five years old Elisa was convinced her destiny in life was to become a world famous pianist. This dream might have come true if her family could afford a piano, but one of her loving uncles went the practical route and gave her an acoustic guitar for Christmas. The rest is history.
Combining her childhood experiences with her master’s degree in Ethnomusicology, Elisa Ferrari’s sound is an amalgam of present day folk-pop, Brazilian pop, tango, tropicalia, bossa nova, and forro– a true melting pot of global sounds. This can be heard on her latest album, isla de niños, an 8-track trip filled with haunting strings, South American jazz percussion, and sultry vocals.
With her soft and spirited voice, Ferrari touches on love, life, decision, and biting political critiques pushing for social awareness in today’s cultural climate like no other female pop vocalist. A perfect introduction to her whimsy would be her first bandsoup submission, Oh Henry, a dark atmospheric song that shows why many compare her to the popular vocalist, Neko Case.
Elisa Ferrari says it has taken her years to have the courage to share her music with the public, which is such an odd statement from the artist that created the courageous and daring isla de niños. I guess we can thank her parents, uncle, and the “wizard behind the curtain” that gave her the push to share her gift with the rest of the world.
