About
Ashley Orlando is a bilingual (English/French) public relations practitioner who enjoys working with nonprofits on artistic, cultural and community-building projects. But in her free time she surrounds herself with her first love, music. “It’s one language that transcends cultural barriers,” she says, and it has given her the opportunity to sing not only in her native U.S., but in Canada and Europe as well. A classically trained soprano, Ashley’s smooth voice is a mixture of light, angelic grace and warm, jazz tones. Originally from Louisiana, her childhood dream was to be the voice of a Disney princess, but life intervened and eventually music got placed on the back burner. While completing a master's degree in Paris a decade later, Ashley connected with the French jazz scene, dancing swing and listening to live bands in the same underground caveau joints that musical greats like Sidney Bechet once played. Le coup de foudre ("love at first sight") for music struck Ashley once again. After a move to Texas and a couple chance encounters with unsuspecting instruments--the ukulele and the kazoo--Ashley has jumped head-first into the Houston jazz scene and now performs regularly throughout the region.
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MusicVINTAGE POINT: Ashley is the lead singer of Vintage Point, a vintage variety band that plays jazz, blues, Texas swing, French chanson and classic country songs with an international twist.
HOUKULELE: As a leader of Houkulele, Houston's Ukulele Club, which boasts 800+ members throughout the Greater Houston Area, Ashley hosts meet-ups and directs the Houkulele's community performance group, The Houkulele Strummers. Members perform at a variety of events throughout the year, including the annual Krewe of Gambrinus Mardi Gras Parade in Galveston. In 2019 Ashley led Houkulele in a partnership with Texas Children's Hospital to organize the "100 Ukuleles for 100 Kids Benefit Concert" at Anderson Fair Listening Room. This concert doubled its initial goal by raising more $11,000+ for the Ukulele Kids Club, Inc., which partners with music therapy programs to give the gift of music (an ukulele) to hospitalized kids. LITURGICAL MINISTRY: Ashley has served for 15+ years as a cantor for churches in Louisiana and Texas. She is often requested to sing for weddings, funerals and special services. |
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Videos
"I Wanna Be Like You" - Vintage Point
"I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" - The Houkulele Strummers
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, March 17 - Dosey Doe Big Barn
6:30pm
Dosey Doe Big Barn
25911 Interstate 45 N, Spring, TX 77380
Ashley Orlando and The Houkulele Strummers will open for Joe Burlison's Uptown Jazz with a 40-minute set of ukulele-arranged jazz standards from The Great American Songbook!
Come celebrate St. Patrick's day with the best live jazz at the best listening room this side of the Emerald Isle. Can't make the parade in NOLA? We're the next best thing. Don't be green with envy, Irish eyes will be smiling and Ale will be flowing as we put you in the mood to celebrate.
Tickets for the show are $18 and are available here: https://www.doseydoetickets.com/shows/735
Dosey Doe Big Barn
25911 Interstate 45 N, Spring, TX 77380
Ashley Orlando and The Houkulele Strummers will open for Joe Burlison's Uptown Jazz with a 40-minute set of ukulele-arranged jazz standards from The Great American Songbook!
Come celebrate St. Patrick's day with the best live jazz at the best listening room this side of the Emerald Isle. Can't make the parade in NOLA? We're the next best thing. Don't be green with envy, Irish eyes will be smiling and Ale will be flowing as we put you in the mood to celebrate.
Tickets for the show are $18 and are available here: https://www.doseydoetickets.com/shows/735
Saturday, March 21 - Music on the Green
6pm to 9pm
"Music on the Green"
4045 Deerfield Village Dr., Houston, TX 77084
Vintage Point (full band) will play the Deerfield community "Music on the Green" outdoor event.
"Music on the Green"
4045 Deerfield Village Dr., Houston, TX 77084
Vintage Point (full band) will play the Deerfield community "Music on the Green" outdoor event.
Thursday, April 2 - Blend Bar
8pm to 11pm
Blend Bar with Davidoff Cigars
1701 Lake Robbins Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77380
Vintage Point (trio) will play jazz, blues, Texas swing and classic country tunes at Blend Bar in The Woodlands.
Blend Bar with Davidoff Cigars
1701 Lake Robbins Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77380
Vintage Point (trio) will play jazz, blues, Texas swing and classic country tunes at Blend Bar in The Woodlands.
Saturday, April 4 - Baldwin Park
12pm to 1pm
Baldwin Park
1701 Elgin, Houston, Texas 77004
The Houkulele Strummers will perform from at Midtown Houston's 2020 Art in the Park! For details visit https://midtownhouston.com/.
Baldwin Park
1701 Elgin, Houston, Texas 77004
The Houkulele Strummers will perform from at Midtown Houston's 2020 Art in the Park! For details visit https://midtownhouston.com/.
Saturday, June 27 - Cypress United Methodist
Vintage Point (trio) will perform a private showcase at Cypress United Methodist Church.
Friday, July 10 - Bluegrass Knight Out
6:30pm to 9pm
Weekley Community Center
8440 Greenhouse Road, Cypress, TX 77433
The Houkulele Strummers will perform a 30 minute set of bluegrass songs for the free, monthly Bluegrass Knight Out community show.
Weekley Community Center
8440 Greenhouse Road, Cypress, TX 77433
The Houkulele Strummers will perform a 30 minute set of bluegrass songs for the free, monthly Bluegrass Knight Out community show.