Esperanza Spalding to Perform at Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony

Wednesday December 02, 2009

On December 11th, 2009, at the City Hall in Oslo, Norway, bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding is one of a number of talented musicians set to perform at a concert in honor of 2009 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, United States’ President Barack Obama.

The international concert will be televised worldwide the day after the December 10th ceremony to celebrate the occasion. Hosted by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, the performance will also feature Wyclef Jean, Toby Keith, Donna Summer, Natasha Bedingfield, Chinese pianist Lang Lang, Amadou & Mariam from Mali, Luis Fonzi from Puerto Rico and Alexander Rybak from Norway. Lang Lang and classical Norwegian opera singer Solveig Kringleborn will perform at the official ceremony.

Spalding, the 25 year old bassist prodigy from Portland, Oregon, has taken the jazz world by storm with her fantastic musical ability, multi-lingual voice and natural beauty. In February of 2008, she performed for President Obama and his family at an intimate Stevie Wonder tribute concert at the White House. Esperanza never expected to be playing for the president, saying “It was awesome, man! It was a blessing, really inspiring to be in there to play music.”

The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize is the 91st prize to be awarded in the Prize’s 108 year history. Obama, who received word in October that he had won, was deeply humbled by the award. “Let me be clear:” he said, “I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.” President Obama plans to give the $1.4 million cash award that comes with the prize to charity.

To read more about the Nobel Peace Prize, please click here.

Radio Song (clip)	1:01	Esperanza Spalding
Black Gold	5:17	Esperanza Spalding

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*Radio Music Society Trailer
Esperanza Spalding at the Oscars
Black Gold
Esperanza Spalding at the Nobel Prize Ceremony

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