Calvyn Cass is an artist carving out his own lane in a culture conflicted with change. With many in the world embracing the flamboyant rise of artistic expression, Calvyn dives right in.
His soulful voice is inspired by artists he
loves; Celine Dion, Destiny's Child, Bryan
Adam's, Brian McKnight, KC & JOJO and
Mariah Carey, to name a few. The 90s
pop era influences his lyrical
writing style while the music fuses
early 2000s sounds with today's modern
pop twist. When it comes to his imagery, he goes
all out. "For so much of my life I didn't want to
stand out. I was bullied for being different and
when I didn't know how I was different I would
just imitate the guys around me to 'blend in'. It
wasn't until I accepted my sexuality that I
embraced the fact I appear more feminine. I can't
control my natural features looking more feminine
but I can control how I present it. I used to want to
fight it but now I lean in. I'd rather stand in my light
and be over the top than allow others to silence me
anymore."
Calvyn moved to Canada from South Africa in 2001. "The culture
in South Africa definitely places men in the stereotypical
masculine role. I always found myself more drawn to the
girls in my life and around me. I loved playing dress up
with my cousins in my aunts clothing. I would run
around in a wig... all behind closed doors.
I never wanted to play rugby or anything
like that. I was always imagining being a
singer one day and would jam out to
European pop hard singing to my
imaginary fans. Coming to Canada there
is a bit of similarity but the difference is
that the kids who were different here
didn't mind standing. I was only ever ok
with being myself behind closed doors
but here I could be myself. I didn't
necessarily open up right away but
there were people around me that
recognized I was different and
would often say it's ok to just be
myself. I was in such denial I
didn't want to listen but now I
see it."
When asked what to expect
from Calvyn, he said, "I have
big goals. I want to create
music the stands the test
of time and that moves
people. I want to
represent the people
who stand in the
shadows too afraid
to be seen.
Expect the most."
Featured Artist
11_June_2021