What is Capriquarian? Who, exactly, is Capriquarian? And where did the name come from? Read on and you\'ll find the answers to all of these questions and more. The Capriquarian sound is the profound expression of a multitalented artist and all that he is: positive, negative, lighthearted, dark, spiritual, profane. Who is Capriquarian? Chas A. Paynes, a multi-instrumentalist songwriter and arranger who has been blowing away the lucky listeners who have been privileged enough to experience his music thus far. Where did the name come from? Capriquarian is the combination of Chas\'s Sun (Aquarius) and Moon (Capricorn) signs. Additionally, Chas was born on January 20 which is technically the cusp of these two signs. He chose the name, in true bohemian fashion, to let listeners know that his music is a reflection of his very essence and the qualities that he embodies. Heavily influenced by Michael Jackson and especially Prince for their performances and musical genius, respectively, Chas knew his calling in life was to be what he is today, a performing, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. You see, to Chas, music is life. It\'s just that simple. He has been working towards mastering that \"life\" since pounding out his first melody on the Casio SK1 he received for his 13th birthday. Singing in choirs through middle and high school always kept him active in music. He began lessons for both guitar, which is currently his favorite instrument, and violin, (which he eventually gave up) at age 15. His passion was evident because at that young age, he paid for his lessons himself. Many lessons, a stint in college as a music composition major, and years of practicing later, this mainly self-taught artist has finally produced a sound like no other. Chas has honed his skills from performances in his own band, the now defunct Nappy, and Chicago\'s funky Marvin Tate\'s D-Settlement. What\'s different is that now he has written, arranged, and performed ALL of the music on his current recording. Though his music fits into many categories, most would try to categorize him under Neo Soul because he\'s got that look and plays instruments. He would have to say he\'s more Alternative Funk but he tries not to put any labels on it. He truly sees himself as a well-rounded artist who is trying to take music wherever it will let him. Chas says his music is made mainly for people who enjoy food for thought and people who are open and ready to experience something other than mainstream radio. Because of that he sees his sound appealing to more of an older crowd rather than the young cliques who tend to indulge on a constant diet of pop culture. He considers himself \"anti-pop\" but would still like to reach as may people as possible so his music can be appreciated and loved by a multicultural audience. In the end, he\'d be happy if his music was considered background music for the common listener and his meaningful lyrics, as well as catchy tunes got stuck in their heads. He feels that music/songwriting these days has lost some of its craft. It\'s more about popularity than art. He hopes to become another one of those \"soldiers\" that put the muse back into music. At the present, He\'s building his own music publishing company. He\'s an Ascap writer and a publishing member. In closing if you are working on a current project and need songs, would like to collaborate on something, or maybe you\'re a DJ interested in adding what he does to what you do, don\'t hesitate to contact him.

• Capriquarian has added a new picture. - on 02.24.09

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