In just under eight years, Isobella Burnham has moved from Barbados to the international stage.
In short, the 28-year-old bass guitarist and singer has travelled the globe, performing in such places as Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, China, Europe, the United Kingdom (UK), where she currently resides, Canada, South Africa, Malawi and California, US. In fact, she is currently in California, where she is working with British singer Myles Smith and alongside British singer-songwriter and guitarist, Ed Sheeran.
The London-based Barbadian musician told EASY recently, “I am living my wildest dreams currently. It’s something I always wanted to do for a long time. I also love helping and supporting other artistes. What I am doing is as much my dream as it is playing and singing just for me. I feel blessed”.
Isobella’s career-defining summer comes fresh off a performance at Wembley Stadium in the UK, with chart-topping artist Smith, where they performed before a crowd of over 80 000 people.
The Barbados Community College alumna embarked on her current North American tour last month, as Smith’s bassist and backing vocalist.
Born to a dad with Bajan parents and a mother with St Lucian parents, both of whom were born in the UK, Isobella, who received her primary education at the Roland Edwards Primary School and the Alexandra School, has excelled in fields other than music. She previously played cricket and was on track to represent the West Indies cricket team. She was also active
as an athlete.
It was actually in 2015, while she was vice-captain of the Barbados Under-19 women’s team, that she took a leap of faith and made the hard decision to leave cricket behind in pursuit of a professional music career.
Musically trained in Barbados, Isobella left Barbados in 2018, after spending a few years performing at some of the island’s hotels and holding down a gig on a cruise ship on Friday nights.
“My parents, peers and elders pushed me to move back to the UK, so I could enjoy a sustainable career in music. So, in January of 2018, I moved back to the UK, and have been there ever since.”
She has played and toured around the world with artists including Mabel, Tom Misch, Jorja Smith and Blue Lab Beats and has become a part of the London jazz scene. Along with her work as a bassist and backing vocalist, Isobella has continued developing and releasing her own original music.
In 2021, she released her debut EP entitled Dancing Garuda, a mixture of Caribbean rhythms, Shango rhythms and spouge, with the sounds of the London jazz scene. She is currently working on her debut album whilst on tour with Smith.
Today, Isobella is thankful for the friends she made in London, who continue to put her name in rooms she has not stepped into. It was through her friend and bandmate, Tjoe Man Cheung that she learnt about the opportunity with Smith. According to her, hard work met opportunity and she was ready.
“I am now used to people calling me to be part of a particular performance. Sometimes it is a one-off gig, or with artistes I have played for for many years.”
Isobella has actually played for artistes such as Connie Constance, Ego Ella May, Jorja Smith and countless others.
During the multi-city tour, in which Smith is opening for Ed Sheeran, she is excited to play with the band at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which can accommodate up to 100 000 people, Rogers Centre in Toronto, and Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
With the first leg of the US tour with Myles’ band completed, she departed to Morocco during a scheduled break in the tour to play for Jorja Smith at the Jazzablanca Festival, an international jazz festival held annually in Casablanca, Morocco, since 2006. She will then head back to Canada to continue the arena tour with Smith.
Already her US tour has taken her to Nashville, Milwaukee, Chicago, Denver and Sacramento.
“Touring on this scale has always been the goal I have worked towards. I am grateful that I kept going.”
“What I would love to do is be able to play my own music, even if it is just during a mini tour. I want to share my music with a wider audience and be my own front woman.”
After her tour, which ends in September, Isobella hopes to return to Barbados to spend the Christmas holiday with friends and family
Always about encouraging young people with dreams to pursue them, just as she did, Isobella had this to say to youths: “Keep on working towards your goals and saying yes to new opportunities. It’s also important to have friends that have your back. I still live by my old secondary school motto, Per Ardua Ad Astra,” (through adversity to the stars).
“If I can make it so can you.”
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