Sami Grisafe Ukulele Player from Culver City, CA

"With a brand of uplifting music that is bound to make listeners smile, Sami Grisafe is a multi-talented artist out of Chicago that appears to have no limitations..." Variance Magazine, April 2013 If you are looking to add a unique element to your event, Sami is the perfect person to do that with original folk-rock songs sprinkled with fresh arrangements of hits from every genre. Sami can also be commissioned to write original songs for your event (for an additional fee). Sami Grisafe (pronounced gri-sah-fee like coffee) wears two very different hats in her professional life. The first is as a professional musician. Grisafe, 31, recently received the Chicago Music Award for Best Rock Entertainer, was featured on CBS Chicago and in Variance Magazine, and performed 3 showcases in Austin, Texas, during the week of SXSW 2013. Sami's album, ATLANTIS, is a collaboration with LA-based Shannon Nicole and Chicago-based Jaclyn Rada. The album received 6 pre-nominations for the first round of the Grammy's and features Grammy Award winning blues artist, Sugar Blue and hip-hop sensation, Viper from the group Follow Your Instinct. The second hat is actually a helmet. Grisafe, a quarterback for the Chicago Force of the Women's Football Alliance, is one of 45 women who was selected to play for the 2013 U.S. Women's National Team in football. Sami was awarded the World Championship Tournament MVP in the 2013 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Women's World Championship, leading Team USA to Gold Medal victory. Inspired by musicians like Janis Joplin, Dave Grohl, and the Counting Crows, Grisafe's music has a folk-rock feel with provocative lyrics, often incorporating additional styles such as reggae, blues and rap. Grisafe has performed at the RedGorilla Fest and OUTlander Fest during SXSW and iconic venues such as Chicago's Metro, Double Door, Cubby Bear and City Winery. Grisafe gained national attention for her performance of the National Anthem prior to taking the field at the 2013 IFAF Women's World Championship gold medal game. The Huffington Post called her performance "…one of the most inspiring versions of the Star-Spangled Banner we've ever heard." The unforgettable rendition is featured in two documentaries and was performed at the request of Illinois Governor, Pat Quinn, for the marriage equality bill signing. As a proud member of the LGBTQ community, Grisafe is in the process of recording her new album beginning with a new song, "Brand New Fairy Tale," as a show of support for equal rights among all people in marriage. The single features Eric Himan, a national touring, award-winning singer-songwriter, who spent spring of 2014 opening tours for Leon Russell and then Ani DiFranco. Currently Grisafe lives in both Chicago and Los Angeles and enjoys supporting local theater, music and her favorite sports teams. BOOKING: Sami is available for: solo performances, speaking engagements, National Anthem performances.