Demonstrating the power of one person and one instrument, Shawna Caspi taps into the roots of folk music.
She brings her intimate songwriting and powerful voice to Chilliwack as she wraps up a two-week tour across B.C.
This Toronto-based singer-songwriter's third full-length album Apartments For Lovers (2014) is elegant and authentic in its simplicity.
The collection of songs is close-up and honest, bringing her warm vocals to the forefront, supported by her classically-trained finger style guitar playing.
Her songs are snapshots – delicate, quiet moments that may appear small, but which subtly carry weight and offer greater depth thanks to her well-crafted lyrics.
For 15 years, Shawna has been playing the guitar she bought at the Ottawa Folklore Centre, one of Canada’s best-loved music stores. This cherished instrument has accompanied her on tour throughout Canada and the United States, where she has played festivals including the Blue Skies Music Festival, the Summerfolk Festival, the Deep Roots Music Festival, and the Ottawa Grassroots Festival.
That guitar was also her constant companion as she played on the long haul trains between Montreal and Halifax and between Vancouver and Toronto as part of the VIA Rail On Board Entertainment Program.
Shawna found inspiration and influence in a wide variety of independent singer/songwriters as she played and sang her way through the folk music scene. Some of these artists are now her peers, and she has shared the stage with several of her favourites, including Rose Cousins, Jon Brooks, James Keelaghan, Old Man Luedecke, Suzie Vinnick, and Garnet Rogers.
From cafes, soft-seat theatres, living rooms, festival stages, and yes, even trains, Shawna is making her living singing her stories on tour.
She loves the landscapes of her travels and while weaving them into her songs, she has also been portraying them on canvases. Shawna paints one-of-a-kind works of art inspired by the rich scenery she sees. Two of those paintings make up the front and back cover artwork for Apartments For Lovers.
Shawna’s Canadian folk roots are an intrinsic part of who she is. In fact, Shawna as a solo musician is exactly who she is as a person – warm, inviting, a storyteller, a traveller, an authentic artist. “And at the heart of everything”, she says, “I’m just a really big music fan.”
Check out her sound at shawnacaspi.com.
Shawna Caspi performs at the Tractorgrease Cafe (48710 Chilliwack Lake Road) on Sunday, Mar 20 at 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 available by phone at 604-858-3814.
