BIOGRAPHY
One liner:
Shawna Caspi is a guitar-picking, classically-trained folkie with a sweet-tooth for a good story, a sly lyrical wit, and a rich, vibrant tone.
One paragrapher:
Shawna Caspi takes the familiar landscapes of folk songs - love stories, tall tales, everyday observations, and a dash of social commentary - and hangs them slightly askew, with unpredictable song structures, witty word play, and crooked rhyming schemes. Her latest CD, Paint by Numbers, showcases her clever storytelling and skillful finger-picking guitar style.
One pager:
Shawna Caspi spent her rebellious years sipping apple cider and playing folk tunes at the infamous Rasputin's Folk Cafe in Ottawa, Ontario. A dedicated music student, she absorbed all she could about smooth voice leading, secondary dominants, and neo-classicism before she was lured to Toronto by a fascination for higher education.
A passionate supporter of both folk music and deliciously dissonant 20th century compositions, Shawna's classical training crept into her music. Her well-honed technique is evident in her accomplished finger-picking, while Shawna's carefully crafted songs, featuring her smooth, melodic voice and unusual rhyming schemes, often deviate from standard compositional form.
Upon graduating from York University, Shawna had already performed at prestigious Toronto venues such as the Rivoli, the Cameron House, the Gladstone Hotel, The Renaissance Cafe, Healey's, and the Free Times Cafe. Career highlights include performing as part of Linda M's Girls With Guitars series and Amanda Bentley's Girls Girls Girls series, and showcasing at Indie Week Toronto and the Toronto City Roots Festival's year-round concert series, City Roots Presents.
In January 2008, Shawna released Paint by Numbers, her first full-length CD, with the help of producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist Dylan Bell (Cadence, Autorickshaw). Shawna showcased at North by Northeast and performed as part of the Fresh Wednesdays series at Nathan Phillips Square in Summer 2008. On stage, Shawna is a consummate performer who loves to tell stories and who welcomes audience interaction at all of her live shows.
"I could easily see her music on my CD player on a rainy Sunday morning as I stare out the window, sipping on a tea, working over a hangover, or just basking in the sublimity of it all. Impressive stuff!"
- Matt Wojas, Toonage Magazine
SHAWNA CASPI - Paint by Numbers - 2008
SHAWNA CASPI - Trip the Light - 2005