diff --git a/app/cassandra/CassandraConnectionUri.scala b/app/cassandra/CassandraConnectionUri.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6a7a0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/cassandra/CassandraConnectionUri.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package cassandra
+
+import java.net.URI
+
+case class CassandraConnectionUri(connectionString: String) {
+
+  private val uri = new URI(connectionString)
+
+  private val additionalHosts = Option(uri.getQuery) match {
+    case Some(query) => query.split('&').map(_.split('=')).filter(param => param(0) == "host").map(param => param(1)).toSeq
+    case None => Seq.empty
+  }
+
+  val host = uri.getHost
+  val hosts = Seq(uri.getHost) ++ additionalHosts
+  val port = uri.getPort
+  val keyspace = uri.getPath.substring(1)
+
+}
diff --git a/app/cassandra/CassandraConnector.scala b/app/cassandra/CassandraConnector.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb0ec46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/cassandra/CassandraConnector.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package cassandra
+
+import com.datastax.driver.core._
+
+object CassandraConnector {
+
+  def createSessionAndInitKeyspace(uri: CassandraConnectionUri,
+                                   defaultConsistencyLevel: ConsistencyLevel = QueryOptions.DEFAULT_CONSISTENCY_LEVEL) = {
+    val cluster = new Cluster.Builder().
+      addContactPoints(uri.hosts.toArray: _*).
+      withPort(uri.port).
+      withQueryOptions(new QueryOptions().setConsistencyLevel(defaultConsistencyLevel)).build
+
+    val session = cluster.connect
+    session.execute(s"USE ${uri.keyspace}")
+    session
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index ec8a8d6..70e653d 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ libraryDependencies ++= Seq(
   jdbc,
   cache,
   ws,
-  "org.scalatestplus" %% "play" % "1.4.0-M4" % "test"
+  "org.scalatestplus" %% "play" % "1.4.0-M4" % "test",
+  "com.datastax.cassandra" % "cassandra-driver-core" % "2.1.+"
 )
 
 resolvers += "scalaz-bintray" at "http://dl.bintray.com/scalaz/releases"