About

Eli Pafumi has been playing and writing for over a decade. Each year brings new discoveries and Eli's motivation to create is unwavering. His love of old school blues, classic rock, and folk, paired with his continuous exploration of composers, new instruments and upcoming songwriters has allowed Eli to become a musician with a unique voice of his own, poised to move to the next level.

About
As Eli continues to play bigger and bigger venues, his fan base continues to grow. His mix of pop, folk and blues, along with his guitar skills have had him compared to John Mayer, Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz. In the past three years Eli has opened for such bands as We The Kings, Grace and Tony and Native Run, playing shows from Jammin Java to Tally Ho. He has spent the last year touring the US and several other countries. Eli is a three time Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards finalist, a TEDxHerndon speaker and composer for live theatre. His theatrical work has been done at The Hub Theatre and Shippensberg University. Eli’s debut album Finding North released in February 2016. 2018 will see the release of his debut LP, partnering with brother Jere Pafumi to form the recording project RitaRita.

Finding North
Eli’s debut album Finding North released on February 9th, 2016. When asked about his album, Eli had this to say, "I hear music in everything. There is inspiration to be found in every little thing I see each day and it’s a matter of filtering it so that something ordinary can become spectacular. This line up of songs does that for me. It’s about love, or that one special girl, or this one problem I have, or this singular wish - but now I can discover them in my own way through music. It’s been a pretty incredible experience watching the evolution of songs I played in my bedroom become songs performed on stage, and then perfected in the studio. Albums, for any artist, are a statement about what the artist is feeling and what they are going through at the time they release it and this album is no different. Each song is a reflection of my own individuality: the longing I have to venture off in the world around me, the desire I have to better understand the confusing emotions of love and the need to communicate ideas I sometimes can’t express only in words. This album is just as much for me as it is for the listener. I want people to hear my music and connect with what I have to say and recognize that we are all figuring things out together - even though my angsty young mind might process things differently. I’m beyond excited to release seven songs that I care so deeply about both musically and emotionally and I can only hope that others are as excited to listen as I am."

Hear from some others:
“I was told a ‘young, popular, local act’ would be opening for us at the Tally Ho in Leesburg, VA. I didn't think anything of it, but as I was changing in the green room I heard him sound check and had to stop what I was doing to watch him. I couldn't believe this huge voice carrying thoughtful lyrics was coming out of this young person. I've been a fan ever since, and I can't wait to watch this star rise and say ‘I knew him when...’” - Rachel Beauregard, Native Run

"Even performing solo acoustic, Eli Pafumi is a captivating acoustic singer/songwriter who has a fantastic voice and plenty of groove. I was most impressed by his ability to play such a rhythmically complex guitar part while improvising the vocal melody simultaneously. Plus, he’s a skilled and tasteful lead and solo player as well. Sounds like he should be opening up for John Mayer. Looking forward to staying in touch with Eli as his career progresses!" - Conrad Osipowicz, Blue Room Productions