Tianna Esperanza wields strength and humor to process trauma on ‘Terror’

That’s not to say that Tianna Esperanza hasn’t worked hard to get to where she is, but the way she owns the stage when she performs is more like a seasoned superstar, not someone in their early 20s who has just released her debut album.

In this session, you’ll hear live performances from Esperanza and she’ll talk about that debut album, Terror. Released back in February, it explores a wide range of topics, including race, class and sexual violence. Esperanza grew up in a mixed-race family in Cape Cod, Mass., and she’ll talk about how making music helped her explore her family history and her heritage. She also talks about her musical mentor, singer-songwriter Valerie June, who appears on the album.