Who is Cali Navarro?
Calista Navarro, also known as Cali, is a singer-songwriter, actress, and storyteller from Elsa, Texas. Cali grew up with music all around her, from the classic rock, country, and pop played in the car on family road trips, to the soundtracks she heard while watching Mexican soap operas on TV. It is no surprise that she developed a love of performance early on, and was singing and dancing on stage in school assemblies by the time she was three years old. Two years later, Cali began taking voice lessons, marking the start of her formal education in music that continues to this day. Since embarking on her musical journey, she has learned to play the ukulele and acoustic guitar, and compose original songs inspired by artists she loves, such as Taylor Swift, Janis Joplin, and Etta James.
In 2022, Cali was invited to the PBS broadcast of Reading Rainbow, where her original song “Reading is Magical” was featured on the live premiere event. Other notable performances include singing the national anthem at local sporting events, and appearing at showcases for music schools in Texas and across the country in New York City.
In addition to her work with music, Cali began taking acting classes when she was seven years old. She wrote, directed, edited, and served as the cinematographer and sound designer on her original short film, The Singer.
As a writer, Cali has won several University Interscholastic League creative writing, oral reading, and storytelling competitions. Her love for competitive creative writing imbues her lyrics with a deeper layer of critical insight, and expands the range of emotional expression in her songwriting.
In her free time, Cali loves to read and play sports. She enjoys many styles of dance, including hip hop, jazz, contemporary, and lyrical. Faith and spiritual growth is also extremely important to Cali. Despite her busy schedule, she attends church regularly and is active within her parish as an altar server.
Cali released her first EP Cali Navarro in the Summer of 2023.
