Biography
American violinist and songwriter Damien Escobar first entered the music business alongside his older brother Tourie Escobar through the ensemble Nuttin' But Stringz, merging classical violin with hip-hop, jazz, and additional styles. Beginning in the mid-2010s he issued comparable cross-genre recordings under his own name.
Escobar entered the world in Jamaica, Queens, New York City and started violin lessons at seven. By ten he had become the youngest pupil ever admitted to the Juilliard School, attending weekend classes there; he and his brother later trained at the Bloomingdale School of Music in Manhattan. In 2003, still in their teens, the brothers secured management and began performing at modest venues throughout the city. As Nuttin' But Stringz they rapidly built a following with their striking command of the instrument and their blend of classical, hip-hop, R&B, pop, and jazz. They claimed victory at an Apollo Theater talent competition in 2005, and during summer 2016 they appeared on screen in Channing Tatum’s dance film Step Up. That autumn Koch Records issued their first full-length album, Struggle from the Subway to the Charts. The track “Thunder” from the record received airplay during CBS’s NCAA basketball tournament broadcasts and within an episode of the NBC series The Black Donnellys in 2007. The same year the duo played at the White House during a Black Music Month event attended by President George W. Bush. Already veterans of numerous late-night and daytime talk-show appearances, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Nuttin' But Stringz took part in the third season of NBC’s America’s Got Talent in 2008 and placed in the top three. The following year the pair performed at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
The brothers ceased performing together as Nuttin' But Stringz in 2012, the same year Damien Escobar made his first solo appearance on the French program Taratata. He launched headline touring under his own name in 2013 and delivered his debut solo album, Sensual Melodies, the next year. Also in 2014 he released the children’s book The Sound of Strings, drawn from his own childhood. His single “Freedom” charted on streaming platforms in 2015, while “Get Up and Dance” arrived in late 2016, combining Latin rhythms, funk, and soulful violin lines.
Escobar entered the world in Jamaica, Queens, New York City and started violin lessons at seven. By ten he had become the youngest pupil ever admitted to the Juilliard School, attending weekend classes there; he and his brother later trained at the Bloomingdale School of Music in Manhattan. In 2003, still in their teens, the brothers secured management and began performing at modest venues throughout the city. As Nuttin' But Stringz they rapidly built a following with their striking command of the instrument and their blend of classical, hip-hop, R&B, pop, and jazz. They claimed victory at an Apollo Theater talent competition in 2005, and during summer 2016 they appeared on screen in Channing Tatum’s dance film Step Up. That autumn Koch Records issued their first full-length album, Struggle from the Subway to the Charts. The track “Thunder” from the record received airplay during CBS’s NCAA basketball tournament broadcasts and within an episode of the NBC series The Black Donnellys in 2007. The same year the duo played at the White House during a Black Music Month event attended by President George W. Bush. Already veterans of numerous late-night and daytime talk-show appearances, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Nuttin' But Stringz took part in the third season of NBC’s America’s Got Talent in 2008 and placed in the top three. The following year the pair performed at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
The brothers ceased performing together as Nuttin' But Stringz in 2012, the same year Damien Escobar made his first solo appearance on the French program Taratata. He launched headline touring under his own name in 2013 and delivered his debut solo album, Sensual Melodies, the next year. Also in 2014 he released the children’s book The Sound of Strings, drawn from his own childhood. His single “Freedom” charted on streaming platforms in 2015, while “Get Up and Dance” arrived in late 2016, combining Latin rhythms, funk, and soulful violin lines.
Albums
Singles
