Biography
ShaSha (nee Sha Zhang), originally hails from the city of Chengdu in the Sichuan province of China. The Sichuan province is famed for its extremely spicy food, but is rapidly gaining renown for its equally spicy fiddle players!
A mathematics prodigy and student of classical violin since the age of 6, ShaSha was in training to join the junior Chinese Mathematic Olympic Team when she was accepted to the prestigious Sichuan Conservatory of Music. She opted for music over mathematics, and her decision paid off. I n 1996, she won first prize at the China University Students Art Festival. ShaSha would have been content to spend her life performing the works of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, but a summer scholarship to the Dartington International School in England changed her life forever.
Her studies in England initially revolved around master classes with world-famous violin virtuosos Ruggerio Ricci and Kun Hu. But when ShaSha heard an instructor play through the Irish reel "Drowsy Maggie", she was captivated. She spent the rest of her time in the UK immersing herself in Celtic music.
Back in China, she
collected whatever Celtic reccordings she could 
and
continued exploring the musical style that had thrilled her like no other.
She formed the band "Jambalaya" with several of the most accomplished
musicians in ChengDu and their mix of Celtic, American Country and Jazz music
caught on. They garnered appearances on Chinese television and radio
stations, and enjoyed a steady stream of gigs in the Sichuan province.
In 1999, ShaSha accepted an invitation to America to perform in concerts and on tour. In the US, she hoped to broaden her horizons and indulge her eclectic musical taste by exploring a variety of Western music styles. She settled in Palm Beach, Florida, where she performs with the Palm Beach Pops, Palm Beach Opera and the Atlantic Classical Chamber Orchestra. Her arrival in the US afforded ShaSha the opportunity to connect with the surprisingly vast Celtic music community in South Florida and she was soon gracing festival and pub stages with the best in town musicians, such as former Irish Rovers members, Bobby O'Donovan and Ian Millar.
ShaSha's uncanny knack for
playing by ear astounded her fellow musicians and she quickly made a name for
herself. "I could tell as soon as she picked up the violin that she
had it", says Bob Noble, formerly of Dexy's Midnight Runners. Noble
and O'Donovan adopted ShaSha as a permanent member of their band "Fire
in the Kitchen", based in Fort Lauderdale, and the press took
notice. The Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel ran glowing reviews focusing on
ShaSha's infectiously exuberant style. 
Arthur Grossman, Personnel Manager with the Palm Beach Pops, also has high praise for ShaSha's musicianship. "She's one of the greatest intuitive musicians I've ever heard", he says. "She can hear anything and translate it to the violin Beautifully. I couldn't play a piece of jazz if you killed me. But she can play any type of ethnic music at just one hearing."
In 2002, ShaSha spent several months touring nationally with "Gaelic Storm", the party band from the major motion picture "Titanic". In various ensembles, she has also performed with Sir James Galway, Mel Torme, Jack Jones, John Pizzarelli, Lena Horne, Vic Damone, Kenny Rogers, Diahann Carroll, Cleo Lane, Maureen McGovern, Count Bassie Band and many others. Now the diminutive but captivating violinist eagerly awaits the next opportunity to take it on the road with a major national artist.
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