Shari Puorto

Caslano Blues Festival, Caslano, Switzerland - June 2026 - The setting alone makes the Blues Festival in the former fishing village of Caslano truly unique. The first two evenings take place across six picturesque *cortili*—courtyards—nestled within historic Ticinese houses, while the following two nights and Sunday morning feature blues performances on two stages along the tranquil shores of Lake Lugano—all under the open sky and free of charge. Local families and associations are on hand to provide food and refreshments for visitors.

From the United States, the festival will welcome Shari Puorto as co-headliner, Steve Arley, and Acantha Lang. Influenced by the likes of Etta James and Janis Joplin, the versatile Shari Puorto’s musical range spans from blues to roots rock. At the recent Wammie Awards, she reached the finals in the "Best Blues Song" category for her track "Why Not Me?" and in the "Best Americana/Country Album" category for her record "Hold On." Furthermore, her album "Live At Bogie’s" was honored as "Best Live Release" at the L.A. Music Critic Awards.

And what about the music? For blues fans arriving from north of the Alps, in particular, there is always plenty to discover. The organizers focus primarily on acts from Ticino or the vibrant Italian blues scene, complemented by talented, lesser-known newcomers from the rest of Europe and overseas.

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Shari featured in UpStart Magazine. Upstart is a high-quality print publicato dedicated to celebrating the arts, culture and lifestule of the Annapolis, Maryland region!