ABOUT AIREENE
Aireene Espiritu's songs are a mix of stompin', swayin', timeless and soulful Americana reminiscent of front porch storytelling, of ghosts and the living, times of laughter and tears. Aireene was a soloist with the Glide Ensemble in San Francisco, toured nationwide and internationally, and in 2016, was added to the roster of artists under non-profit label, Little Village. She created A Color-Coded Symphony project, 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. Her latest project is, The Sampaguitas, singing Filipino folk songs and originals in three-part harmonies.
“A rare breed of artist, soul singer, folk troubadour, a skiffle tear-stained street singer with a heart as big as the history of the music that drives her...a storyteller without borders or cultural limitations.” - No Depression
“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...” - Los Angeles Times
GRANTS/AWARDS
2026 Portland Folk Festival Song Contest Runner-Up
2025 Womens Audio Mission Local Sirens Artist Recording Residency (The Sampaguitas)
2024 Kreative Growth Grant/Balay Kreative (The Sampaguitas)
2023 Whippoorwill Arts Songbird Award
2022 Yerba Buena Gardens Seed Commission Artist
Bring On the Supernatural, Volume 1 Music & Lyrics by Aireene Espiritu from the OurSong+Your10Words Song Series This project is made possible by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Seed Commissions 2022. Read more
Bring On the Supernatural, Volume 1
Music & Lyrics by Aireene Espiritu from the OurSong+Your10Words Song Series
This project is made possible by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Seed Commissions 2022. https://ybgfestival.org/seed-commissions-2022
When the shelter-in-place occurred in March of 2020 and artists turned to streaming shows, I started Our Song + Your 10 Words Song Series, where I took 10 words from 10 individuals and would write a new song based on those words. From March until September, 16 songs were born and posted on YouTube in its raw form (view them here: https://bit.ly/your10words) Some were reflective of the times: the first week of shelter-in-place, feelings of gratitude when I moved into my apartment after being homefree for nine years, the political climate, Black Lives Matter, justice for George Floyd and the wildfires. With the commission funds I was able to record 5 of the 16 songs, plus simulated radio announcements (thanks to Maurice Tani’s natural radio voice) introducing those that were historical markers from that year.
The title track, Bring On the Supernatural, was written in September, the last song of the song series for 2020. Waking up to the surreal orange skies prompted me to request for words inspired by the supernatural. Within the first hour of posting the request in social media, I received 20 words and decided to include all instead of limiting to the usual 10. What’s it gonna take to save this world? Bring on the supernatural. Come together skeptics and believers, "Bring On the Supernatural."
A big thanks to the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Seed Commissions for allowing me to bring these songs to life from their raw form as they deserve to be heard. Thanks to all the word contributors and those who tuned in to the streaming shows in 2020. And thank you for listening!
Music & Lyrics by Aireene Espiritu from the OurSong+Your10Words Song Series
This project is made possible by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Seed Commissions 2022. https://ybgfestival.org/seed-commissions-2022
When the shelter-in-place occurred in March of 2020 and artists turned to streaming shows, I started Our Song + Your 10 Words Song Series, where I took 10 words from 10 individuals and would write a new song based on those words. From March until September, 16 songs were born and posted on YouTube in its raw form (view them here: https://bit.ly/your10words) Some were reflective of the times: the first week of shelter-in-place, feelings of gratitude when I moved into my apartment after being homefree for nine years, the political climate, Black Lives Matter, justice for George Floyd and the wildfires. With the commission funds I was able to record 5 of the 16 songs, plus simulated radio announcements (thanks to Maurice Tani’s natural radio voice) introducing those that were historical markers from that year.
The title track, Bring On the Supernatural, was written in September, the last song of the song series for 2020. Waking up to the surreal orange skies prompted me to request for words inspired by the supernatural. Within the first hour of posting the request in social media, I received 20 words and decided to include all instead of limiting to the usual 10. What’s it gonna take to save this world? Bring on the supernatural. Come together skeptics and believers, "Bring On the Supernatural."
A big thanks to the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Seed Commissions for allowing me to bring these songs to life from their raw form as they deserve to be heard. Thanks to all the word contributors and those who tuned in to the streaming shows in 2020. And thank you for listening!
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0:00/3:41
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The Dream 3:390:00/3:39
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