“I’ve never liked small talk much,” says Yasmine White. “When I meet someone I want to know how they see the world, who they are. I want to talk about their stories and struggles.” That need to understand is expressed in her songs, with their accessible melodies and insightful, sometimes even painful lyrics. “She isn’t shy about exploring the deals we make with each other and with ourselves in the name of love and need,” says critic Rick Cowell.* “It is striking how well Yasmine White is able to consistently touch that innate yearning for love that we all share.” **

Yasmine placed second in the folk category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, a prestigious international competition founded by Yoko Ono, with judges who included Bjork James Brown, Judy Collins, Elton John, Joan Osborne and Carlos Santana. She has also received honorable mention in the Billboard World Song Contest, and has twice been a finalist in the North Carolina Songwriter’s Contest.

She started her career in the folk music scene in New York, sharing the stage with performers such as Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin and Mary Chapin Carpenter. “Then I left music for a good amount of time,” she says. “I sort of walked away from it.” She earned a board certificate in Music Therapy and worked with the elderly, people in psychiatric units and health care centers, and children and adults with autism. But she could never really drop the music. “I eventually started writing songs in my car. I had tried to do something else but finally realized that I had to honor "where I live" -- writing songs and performing.” Along the way she has written songs from this experience about some of the people she worked with. Some of the songs on her new CD -- In My Mind, Starve Me, and See Her Whirl -- have been inspired by this experience and the people she has met and worked with.

Yasmine has just released a new self-titled CD that presents her original songs in a broad range of styles, ranging from alt-rock to electronic to smoldering jazz - “all of it tied together by her inviting melodies and pure voice.”*** The CD features a talented group of musicians that includes guitarist Will MacFarlane (well-known for his work with Bonnie Raitt, The Pointer Sisters and Jackson Browne), percussionist Beverly Botsford (known for her work with Nina Freelon), and former Whiskeytown member Caitlin Cary. Starve Me, featured on the new CD, has been selected by radio station MVYRadio for its Fresh Produce music sampler.

As a performer, Yasmine grabs the audience and takes them along on her emotional journeys. She was named best female vocalist for four weeks in a row by the music website Garageband.com (the site continues to list her as one of the top 20 all-time alternative rock female vocalists) and the accolade is well deserved. Her voice has been called “sexy,” “expressive,” “honest,” and “warm.” “Chapel Hill’s Yasmine White continues to prove that talent only takes time to be fully recognized.” ***

***The Chapel Hill News

Radio Play
WUNC-FM, WFSS-FM, North Carolina - KZSC-FM, KFOK-FM, California - WFHB-FM, Indiana - WMHB-FM, Maine - KBAC-FM, Michigan - WDET, New Mexico - KEDT-FM, KEOS-FM, Texas - KRCL-FM, KZMU-FM, Utah - WDCE-FM, Virginia -- Radio Milo, Belgium - CKCU, Canada - La Otra Misuca, Spain -- WIUJ-FM, Virgin Islands

Openers & Venues
Caitlin Cary, David Wilcox, Thad Cockerell, Kate Campbell, Jeff Black, Jupiter Coyote, The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, Roxy, Los Angeles, Jammin’ Java, Virginia, Arts Center, Carrboro, Six String Cafe, Cary.

Awards
Finalist, 2002 John Lennon Songwriting Contest
Honorable Mention, 11th Billboard World Song Contest
Two-time Finalist, North Carolina Songwriting Contest
2nd runner-up, Young Artist Award, 2005 Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest

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Click here to listen to music from Yasmine's new self-titled CD.