The story of singer-songwriter Esmeralda Gillian reads like a well-written novel. Born as the seventh child of a very musical family in Eindhoven, with parents who emigrated from Indonesia just after World War II. Music was always a central theme in their family, almost every Sunday they rehearsed. Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra were the favorites at home and let that have been a fantastic basis for the music she now makes.
After years working for other artists (countless cover bands, studio work for both brothers, backing vocals during performances of her parents,…) she decided only in 2020 to start working with her own songs. Unfortunately, the impetus was the sudden death of her brother. But what a strength gave her that.
Now, four years later, Esmeralda has grown into a fully-fledged songwriter who brings jazz and soul songs with her incredible voice as if Whitney Houston had been resurrected. With coaching from Ben van Essen, Esmeralda wrote and produced her first album “Not Your Story” this year. Pure, honest, and authentic.
No, it is not our story, but that of her. And that story is far from un-sung. For her brother, she continues the ‘legacy‘. Music is not a dream for her, not a goal, but a mission. To say it in her own words:
“This is Esmeralda Gillian, my journey, my path, my destiny”
