"Arts Alive" with Bill DeYoung: Alejandro Arenas and Ona K; 5-25-24

Episode 7577,   May 25, 02:25 PM

Collectively, Alejandro Arenas and Ona K are Orilla. 

A Spanish word meaning “shoreline,” it’s the ideal name for the musical duo whose influences originate across the globe, those places where vast oceans and firm borders blur and come together.

He is the bassist for La Lucha, the Tampa Bay jazz trio known for eradicating boundaries, expanding the vocabulary and effortlessly expressing the cool. His native country is Colombia.

A singer and songwriter originally from the Catalan region of Spain, she is as fearless as she is talented, eager to make music that defies easy categorization yet remains honest – and appealing.

Orilla’s music is, in a way, rooted in jazz, but as the region’s only bass-and-vocal duo, it’s even more adventurous than what some people think of as jazz.

Today on the Arts Alive! podcast, Alejandro and Ona talk about their beginnings, their evolution and – most importantly – why they do what they do (hint: like a lot of artists, it’s something just beyond easy explanation).

They also discuss Saturday’s performance at The Studio@620. It’s called Con Alma, which means “With Soul.” Yet another appropriate tag for the music they make. #orilla #alejandroarenas #onaK #billdeyoung #artsalive #stpetecatalyst #tampabay #radio #radiostpete