Claudia Carawan

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Claudia Carawan (born April 19, 1959, Alexandria, Virginia) is a singer/songwriter and pianist from Virginia. While she has been creating and performing music for more than 20 years, she only recently released her debut album, Out of the Blue, in 2003. It derives its sound from several styles including soul, old school R&B, reggae and jazz. The positive lyrics of the album lean heavily on messages of hope, love, and inspiration. Her voice draws comparisons with Bonnie Raitt and the late Eva Cassidy. Ms. Carawan is a cousin of the folk musician Guy Carawan.

Her love affair with music began as a young child when she discovered a beat-up Silvertone guitar in her family's basement. While frequenting the coffee shops and venues of her native DC area, she devoured a variety of music genres. She became an avid fan of Americana “roots” music. Carawan studied classical voice at Virginia Commonwealth University but her love of the blues, jazz, and old-school r&b lured her away from a career as an opera singer. While in school Carawan developed her musicianship by studying piano and alto sax --both signatures of her sound. She attended the prestigious Jazz in July at University of Massachusetts where she learned about “music and life” from jazz legends Max Roach, Billy Taylor & Sheila Jordan.

Upon graduation she worked with numerous ensembles performing a wide spectrum of styles--blues, jazz & pop, etc. Her work fronting Li’l Ronnie & the Bluebeats helped make the band a regional favorite on the east coast. She also found success in advertising, singing jingles for local, regional and national ads.

When not on stage Carawan works part-time as a Music Teacher at the Charterhouse School, which serves “at risk” students, where she inspires students to discover and develop their creative abilities. She also is Music Director for Unity Christ Church of Bon Air where she brings her style of soul, jazz & pop to the congregation. She lives happily in Richmond with her husband and her lovely daughter.