Ashley Orlando

About Ashley

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 years 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 music scene.

Music

SOLO/DUO: In May 2020 Ashley Orlando was featured as a musical artist among an international line-up of ukulele musicians, (including the world-renowned James Hill and a surprise performance by Jake Shimabukuro) during Craig Chee and Sarah Maisel's Not-So-Mini Online Ukulele Festival #2. Watch the 9+ hour festival online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXSFR7yIm64&t=22778s.

VINTAGE 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. 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 throughout Louisiana and Texas. She is often requested to sing for weddings, funerals and special services.