Get familiar with ESG now on our blog or in Patta Magazine Volume Six.
Few bands can claim to have shaped music history while defying every neat genre label, but ESG has been doing exactly that for over four decades. Formed in the South Bronx by the Scroggins sisters — Renee, Valerie, Deborah, and Marie — along with their friend Tito Libran, ESG took their name from three precious elements: emerald, sapphire, and gold. With their stripped-down blend of funk, punk, hip-hop, and Latin rhythms, they forged a sound so distinctive it has gone on to stand the test of time and influence generations of musicians.
Over the years, the group has released influential EPs and albums, taken their music around the world, and kept it all in the family — with Renee’s children now joining the lineup. Their work has been praised by critics, revered by musicians across genres, and celebrated by fans worldwide.
As the band approaches its 49th year, founding member Renee Scroggins reflects on ESG’s beginnings, their impact, and the lessons she’s carrying into retirement and passing on to the next generation.
Patta Magazine Volume 6 is available next week at Patta chapter stores in Amsterdam, London, Milan and Lagos.
On Monday, December 1, at FOTODOK BOOK TALKS #44 in TivoliVredenburg (@tivolivredenburg ), we highlight “De Wallen Amsterdam”, the new book by photographer Dana Lixenberg (@danalixenberg ). This live talk show hosted by documentary photographer Giya Makondo-Wills (@giyamakondowills ).
Created between 2021–2025, the series offers an intimate look at Amsterdam’s Red Light District, where Lixenberg spent her early childhood. Instead of focusing on spectacle or overtourism, she portrays the neighbourhood through sensitive black-and-white portraits of residents, sex workers, artists, visitors and entrepreneurs. These are paired with quiet colour interiors that reveal the hidden spaces behind the alleys and canals.
The book, designed by Hans Gremmen (@hans.gremmen ) and published by Roma Publications (@roma.publications ), also includes stills from Lixenberg’s video installation shown at the Stadsarchief Amsterdam. Text by Jenny Smets, art historian specialized in documentary photography and curator of the exhibition De Wallen.
Tickets via the link in bio.
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