Sheila E.

Sheila Cecilia Escovedo, known professionally as Sheila E., was born on December 12, 1957, in Oakland, California. Born into a prominent musical family of Mexican and French Creole ancestry, she is the daughter of jazz percussionist Pete Escovedo and the goddaughter of Tito Puente. She began performing publicly at the age of five and transitioned into a professional music career at fifteen, working early on with the George Duke Band before beginning a decades-long collaboration with Prince.

Throughout her career, Escovedo has earned a reputation as a virtuoso percussionist and multi-instrumentalist, often referred to as the "Queen of Percussion." Her musical output has spanned multiple genres including R&B, funk, jazz, pop, and Latin pop.

In recent years, Escovedo transitioned into recording salsa music, releasing her first dedicated salsa album, "Bailar," in 2024. The album featured the single "Bemba Colorá," a collaboration with Gloria Estefan and Mimy Succar. She followed this project with the releases of "Bailar (Deluxe)" and the instrumental compilation "Sheila E. & Friends: Bailar Instrumentals" in 2025.