Black Eskimo

There is a Siren's call & a thumping in the woods of New England. Black Eskimo combines the gritty urban beats of Chicago native Marco Valentin with the ethereal poetry of famed New England-based songwriter Ingrid Chavez. The result is a hypnotic hybrid of deep and heady tales that fuse the duo's influences, from Jazz, Soul, and Hip Hop to Rock, Electronica, and World Music. The synthesis parallels the convergence of two artists’ lives. Chavez is no stranger to pop music or collaborations. Previously, she co-wrote Madonna's smash "Justify My Love" with Lenny Kravitz; worked with Prince during the early 90s, releasing her solo debut on Paisley Park records; and performed with Japan’s David Sylvian, and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. After several years as muse, collaborator, and solo artist, Ingrid took time off to focus on her family life. During the hiatus Chavez met Valentin, a self-taught producer who took an innovative route to becoming a musician. As a teenager growing up on the south side of Chicago, Valentin had originally set out to be a rap artist, but he didn’t have any beats so he got crafty, lifting loops off Wu Tang and Mobb Deep records using an old Karaoke machine. The results were choppy but he liked what he heard and kept working, expanding his sonic palette beyond childhood favorites like ‘90s Hip Hop and Fania Allstars, to include everything from international ‘60s and 70s underground music to classic rock. Their initial collaboration (with Valentin programming beats while Chavez freestyles lyrics), moved Chavez to release a solo album in 2010, “A Flutter and Some Words”. In response, Valentin reached out again, and this time, the pairing locked into the act we know now as Black Eskimo. Their reuinon yielded a few songs, including In 2010’s holiday tune "Frosty" and 2011’s groover "Escapology". In the midst of an inspired streak, in April of 2012 all their work was lost when their hard drive crashed. In the process of writing new songs, Marco discovered copies he had backed up in Chicago before moving to New Hampshire. Hunkering down in an old, enchanted house over the winter, Chavez and Valentin reproduced the “lost” songs, using the original files. Along with the new music they had begun, Black Eskimo finally had enough songs for their eponymous album, scheduled to be released in June 2013. Ingrid Chavez and Marco Valentin started on different paths, but they arrived at the same magical point in their musical journey. This where the story of Black Eskimo begins… Black Eskimo is Ingrid Chavez and Marco Valentin. Putting New Hampshire on the map with their unique blend of down-tempo Chicago beats and spoken word.