Elena Rawlins

Elena Rawlins is a young, motivated and driven professional vocalist and musician who has had a career in music for the past nine years. Hailing from the island of Trinidad & Tobago, she has performed with many prominent calypso, soca and jazz artistes from Trinidad & Tobago. She has also collaborated with well-known producers from Trinidad recording original tracks and producing jingles for local advertisements. She has represented Trinidad & Tobago at international events in Germany, Grenada and Toronto, with various groups. 

She moved to Toronto, Canada in 2013 to pursue her Bachelor's Degree in Music at Humber College and since then, Elena has been offered many opportunities to represent the music program through performances and workshops with artists like New York Voices and Snarky Puppy. During her time here, she has also been able to connect and perform with well-known musicians in the city and at Humber. She is now the leader of her own band, Elena Rawlins and Friends. 

This group is a quintet, featuring Elena backed by a group of musicians that include alta sax, piano, electric bass and drums. They perform Elena's original material which ventures into the genres of jazz, neo-soul and Afro-Carribean/Brazilian music. In addition, Elena and her band love to perform classic jazz standards re-imagined through funky and unique arrangements. Elena is currently working on her debut EP, set to release later this year. 

Her association is her rich cultural background, through the use of folk elements of Latin and West Indian culture is represented throughout this project. The sound of this band is influenced by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Esperanza, Spalding and Snarky Puppy, to name a few. Recent gigs include performing at popular music venues in Toronto and Summer 2016 festivals.