After moving around the continent to shape her sound, an alumni from Pen High and Summerland High is booked at the Dream Café.
Singer-songwriter Awna Teixeira is playing in Penticton on Aug. 15 as part of her Wild One tour.
Teixeira began working as a professional in 2001 by backing up other musicians. It wasn’t until going solo in 2012 when she really began to spiral out.
“My writing has grown a lot in that time,” she said. “The more I get to know myself and find my truest self, the more it’s coming out in my music that I’m finding my true musical voice.”
She said her true voice has been articulated, as clearly as possible to date, through her new album Wild One which was released in March.
“The more time I’ve spent working away from bands, the more time I spent trying to figure out what I want my sound to be. I’ve matured a lot in the last couple of years.”
In support of her career and personal relationships, Teixeira moved to Utah three years ago and New Mexico, but she’ll always consider Canada home — though her northern upbringing spanned many provinces.
“Penticton’s always a great place for me to come back to because my shows have been about trying to connect with people and my audience,” she said. “There are all kind of people that come out of the woodwork in the Okanagan — one time my high school guidance councillor came to the show.”
The inspiration for work comes through the desire to form meaningful connections with her audiences and listeners.
“I try to be as real and honest as possible in my performance and talk about my personal experiences; my connection with the songs I’m performing.”
While honest and meaningful communication seems like it should be expected, it’s become a challenge in the information age.
“The further we go along in this world, a lot of disconnect can happen with how fast we’re having to move these days with the internet era, and I try to bring it back to personal connection.”
As a first-generation Canadian, Teixeira said the Portuguese roots of her parents have also shaped her sound.
“I was raised mostly by my Portuguese family and grew up listening to Portuguese folk music and going to festas. We heard a lot of Portuguese music. I remember celebrating huge mass services and the parties to follow, they were very steeped in the Portuguese culture.”
Another major influence in her career was a fluke encounter at a thrift shop in Victoria. Adding to her instrument collection of a guitar and banjo, Teixeira stumbled upon a working accordion and purchased it for $40, then learned how to play it on her own.
“I just have a natural attraction and an ability to do that.”
She also makes effective use of an old suitcase and the tambourine, which she uses for percussion simultaneously with other instruments.
“So it’s a fuller solo sound.”
Teixeira’s show is at 8 p.m. on Aug. 15. Tickets cost $14.
