Raina Krangle: Solo
An experienced singer-songwriter, this Toronto native began playing her original songs on guitar as a teenager at classic folk clubs in Toronto such as Free Times Café & the El Macombo. Coming from a musical family, it’s no wonder Raina began singing and creating songs. Her mother occasionally sang and played autoharp with her cousin, Bob Ezrin in the old Yorkville folk club days and her dad often played guitar and piano around the house lulling a young Raina to sleep, singing Bruce Cockburn’s, “All The Diamonds” in perfect harmony with her mom. Her sister, Jodi also began songwriting and played piano, while her grandfather played just about every instrument there was but entertained the family at holiday events on the piano. This, no doubt influenced Raina’s early songwriting years as she began creating music first on the piano until her 15th birthday when she got a new guitar. Combined with her previous “daughter’s day” gift set of 4 harmonica’s and influenced further by Bob Dylan and Neil Young, Raina began teaching herself to play guitar and harmonica so she could accompany herself singing. She recounts vivid memories of an early Sunday morning that fading into evening: “I sat the WHOLE day in my kitchen practicing ‘Four Strong Winds’ that my dad taught me. Eight hours straight and my neck was stuck sideways but by the end, I had blisters and could switch chords smoothly- I was determined!” Using the guitar, harmonica, piano and occasionally her mom’s old Oscar Schmidt Autoharp, Raina’s songwriting sprouted. Later, Raina began performing at camp talent shows and in high school, while studying the Canadian Railroad in history, her teacher suggested she learn The Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot to perform for the class. Raina gladly accepted this challenge and did just that. Many years later at Mariposa, she recalls meeting Gordan Lightfoot and telling him that story in person who replied, “That’s a hard song!”
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She continued writing and sharing her songs while studying at the University of Western and proved to be a favourite performer on campus. She went on to win the University of Western Talent Search and had her song, “In the Morning” on CHRW Radio Western.
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Working with producer Jason Greenberg, Raina finally released her first self-titled CD, Raina Krangle-Solstice, (2012). The first song on the CD, “Needle in the Hay" received the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award nomination from both Folk Music Ontario and the Ontario Arts Council. Her new song, “Holy Land”, won the Newmarket Arts Council Songwriting Competition in 2016 and Raina has since made appearances on Rogers TV, Whistle Radio and Pickering College Radio. She has since proven to be a favorite at local festivals such as Cosmo Music Fest, Eaglewood Folk Festival,The Newmarket Jazz Festival, Aurora Music Festival and Richmond Hill Festivals - Canada Day & Taste of the Hill. Raina also performed at Winterfolk 2016 and continues to perform at several venues in Toronto and the GTA. She was a contributing musical performer at the now CONQUERED, Guinness World Record Attempt for the Longest Concert Ever and Longest Live Stream. That’s one for the 2017 record books! Summer of 2017, Raina performed in Duncan, BC at the 39 Days of July Festival. 2018 summer brought Raina to singing in Banff, Revelstoke and a tour through the Ottawa Valley performing in Eganville-Concerts in the Park, appearing on CKCU - Canadian Spaces and headlining the famous Rainbow Bistro. Whether singing for kids or adults, Raina’s signature style delivers original, catchy folk/rock, “feel good” songs infused with a splash of Americana/ country for her trademark sound.
